


AZSR

by StardustMuse



Category: RWBY
Genre: Multi, POV Multiple, POV Third Person, Post-Canon, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:43:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27203338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StardustMuse/pseuds/StardustMuse
Summary: Years after RWBY, a new team is formed at Haven Academy. The adventures of team RWBY and team JNPR have become recent history and part of the collective mythos for Remnant, though not everyone believes all the stories. The new team has many challenges to overcome, both internally as a team, and externally, as Remnant is constantly evolving.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

-Listening to people is easy. Listening to their emotions, and truly empathizing with them requires far more work.-

Ao craned his neck to see as much as he could outside of the train window. Originating from Atlas, he had never been to another kingdom before this. Mistral just...felt so different from Atlas. No robotic soldiers, no obvious advanced technology. Everything looked...as if it belonged. Ao briefly wished he felt that grounded. The yelling he had put up with at his decision, the uncertainty he had at being here, the usual barrage of emotions from everyone around...With so much going on, he felt more unsteady than usual. Looking away from the window, he took several deep breaths. Just a little longer, then he would be at Haven Academy. He needed his wits around him. The train stopped, and he climbed out. Bag, check. Sykli, check. Himself...mostly present. Ao took another breath, and started walking, guided by the numerous signs celebrating the start of the new school year.

Once again, he couldn't help but gawk at the high cliffs, the waterfalls spilling from the top, trees and other vegetation everywhere, and the houses...the houses and shops were build right into the cliff sides. Some places even appeared to be tunneled through. Paths had been carved, so people could get around, but still, it was incredible. So much art and design on display. And the people! So many styles of clothing, so many accents as people called to each other in the market, so many colors, so much for sale at stalls, so many emotions, almost entirely positive, just so much! Ao winced at the headache developing. At least positive emotions didn't hurt as bad as negative ones. He eyed the people again, and couldn't help but smirk. Mistral really was different from Atlas. 

As he continued on, others around his age started appearing, most with bags and weapons. Other first years, headed to initiation at Haven Academy. A small crowd formed ahead, and with a start, Ao realized that he was at the Academy. The grass, trees, and mountains had flowed so smoothly, that he hadn't noticed the change. That was certainly different. Sneaking a look around though, he could see walls, gates, and defenses around the Academy. But it still blended in overall. Huh. He checked his Scroll for the time. Still about twenty minutes or so before the time he was supposed to be here. Time to observe others then. He looked around again, directing his attention more on the students. Still more diversity could be seen here, with the sheer variety of weapons, clothing, hair, really, everything. People from all over Remnant seemed to be starting school at Haven, including quite a few Faunus. That was interesting. Ao frowned thoughtfully. He didn't think he had ever seen quite so many Faunus, especially in one place.

"Hi! Are you new here?" The cheerful voice startled Ao for a moment, before he realized it belonged to a tan girl with white-blonde hair standing near him.

"Are you excited? I know I am, I mean I'm nervous too, but I grew up here, so what's the big deal? Anyways, do you like it here so far? Is it different from where you're from? Where are you from? Oh, and I've heard rumors for a test that cuts down the numbers so only the best can actually start. People still have to form teams though. I wonder how that happens. What do you think? Oh, and my name is Saffron. What's yours?" Throughout the series of questions, the girl constantly moved, whether tapping her fingers along the grip of a bow in her right hand, or bouncing on her toes. She almost seemed to glow in excitement, before Ao realized that in fact, she was glowing. The light surrounding her showed off her golden yellow crop top, and her dark yellow pants. Not to mention, her excitement was skyrocketing. Ao smiled, waiting to make sure that the girl had to take a breath so that he could answer.

"Hello. I've never been to Mistral before, and I applied to start at Haven this year, so I'm new. I'm excited, and nervous. I like it here so far, it is very different from where I lived. I came from Atlas, I don't know how teams might form, and my name is Ao. Also, are you...glowing?" Saffron blinked, and grinned, bouncing a little higher.

"Wow, you actually listened! I guess I am glowing, it's my semblance. It's hard to control right now, actually, I really don't have the best handle on it. Oops! I really need to get better about rambling on, most people just walk away, but it's so hard!" 

"Why would they do that? You like to meet people, and you're cheerful." Ao asked. Saffron laughed.

"Oh, I like you!" She blushed suddenly. "Not in a romantic way, but you're actually friendly to me! Most people think I'm too much to handle, but you seem to be ok."

"I like that you're cheerful. It's a nice greeting." Ao told her. Saffron grinned, and tapping her fingers again, looked around the growing crowd with excitement.

"Thanks! I'm going to go around and say hi to others, but I'll see you later!" 

"See you." Ao watched after her for a bit, then shook his head, smiling. Yes, Haven Academy was going to be very different. More friendly, less reserved. Maybe he could get used to this.

"Hey. You're the first person I've seen to not just back up when meeting Saffron." Another voice said. This one belonged to a boy with reddish-brown hair, who suited Ao thoughtfully.

"You know her?" Ao asked. The boy nodded, smiling.

"Childhood friends. We grew up a few blocks from each other."

"I can understand that she can be a bit of a handful, but why treat her..."

"Because people don't know what to do with her. She hasn't had many friends, and she's been bullied a lot." 

"Oh." 

"Yeah. My name's Bistre, by the way." The boy offered a hand for Ao to shake. Ao did so.

"Ao."

"I'm going to catch up to Saffron, if you don't mind. We try to balance each other out." Bistre said, glancing over the heads of people to try to spot his friend. Ao nodded.

"Of course." With a smile and a wave goodbye, Bistre disappeared into the crowd. Ao moved among the crown himself now, curious to see what other people were like. With such a din of emotion, he couldn't pick out much. He almost bumped into a girl with brown hair, but she saw him coming, and stepped just far enough away to avoid getting hit. 

"Careful. I'm Lapis. New here?

"Yes. This gathering is only for first years though, isn't it? It seems a bit crowded." Lapis nodded absently, scanning the crowd.

"I think so. I've seen some people here older than us though, so maybe not. Oh, Desereé. Watch it!" A Faunus girl with a dark brown monkey tail had stumbled into Lapis, pushed by others into crowd.

"Sorry! I didn't try to, it's just getting so crowded! Who's this?" 

"Ao. I'm originally from Atlas." Ao say,d wondering just how many introductions he would go through that day. Desereé froze, studying him carefully. Ao couldn't even tell what she was feeling, there were far too many emotions going through the Faunus girl. 

"Atlas?" 

"So you're from Atlas. Why come here? Isn't Atlas supposed to 'have the best Academy on the planet'?" Lapis asked. Ao winced slightly at the mocking tone.

"I guess I wanted to experience something different. I like it here so far." Desereé studied him further, then slowly nodded.

"Fair enough. I'm from Vacuo, and Lapis is from Vale."

"And I can speak for myself!" Lapis huffed. "Anyways, long flight to another kingdom means you meet people." Ao raised an eyebrow. The level of general exasperation coming from Lapis was surprising. Not just at Desereé, but at everyone. What was her problem? Desereé, seeing a gap through the crowd waved, and left. 

"See you." Lapis muttered. Ao waved, then looked over the heads of the crowd himself. Still no signs of a teacher, and still more students were making their way into the quad. He was so busy looking, that he actually did bump into someone. 

"Oh, sorry." He said automatically. The boy he had bumped into looked down, his horns making him look even more intimidating. The scowl he wore, and the shaded red tailored clothes did nothing to help that impression, but the headphones around his neck lessened it a bit. 

"Really?" 

"Yes. It's crowded, but I should have watched where I was going more." The boy regarded Ao for several moments, then slowly, nodded.

"Huh. Apology accepted then."

"I'm Ao. I'm from Atlas, but I think Haven Academy is going to be interesting. I like Mistral so far. What about you?" Ao asked, offering a hand. The boy hesitated, and Ao felt the slight fear, and the more apparent anger. He wondered if that was an automatic reaction for Faunus, meeting someone from Atlas. Desereé had hesitated too, and he had felt wariness, among the jumbled emotions from her. A few more seconds passed before the Faunus boy took Ao's hand.

"Rosso. Grew up in a village not far from kingdom boundaries. You seem pretty open-minded for someone from Atlas." Ao shrugged.

"I never did like all of the rules there." For that, he got a brief flash of respect. 

"That, is something we can agree on." Rosso told him, before starting to move away.

"It was nice meeting you." Ao called.

"Sure sure." Rosso replied, before disappearing. A tapping of a microphone brought the noisy crowd to silence. Ao saw on the steps of one of the taller buildings a tall woman with blonde hair. A black haired man stood to one side, watching the students. The woman waited a few more moments to make sure she had everyone's attention, then smiled.

"Welcome everyone to a new school year at Haven Academy! My name is Ala Bisque, headmistress of this school Of course, I'm known as Professor Bisque to the students. I'm glad you're all excited, however, not all of you will be participating in classes. Haven Academy is one of the most prestigious Huntsman academies in the world, and we can only accept the best. Therefore, you will spend the night in the great hall, before starting testing tomorrow. Only those who succeed in the trials will actually train here. During the trials, you will be put into pairs, then afterwards, if you succeed, those pairs will be put into teams. Most details on that in the morning. For now, explore the academy grounds, get to know people, or rest up for the big day tomorrow. Teachers and older students are around to help if you need anything. Good luck!" Many students pushed to make their way to other parts of the grounds, while others waited more patiently for the way to be clear.

"She's young, for a head of school." A nearby girl with dark purple hair, and dark pink highlights mused.

"Yes. Very open to us. Not something you always find, but I think I like it." Ao admitted. The girl smiled.

"I know I like it. What's your name?"

"Ao. Yours?"

"Rose." 

"Hey, does anyone know who the man is? He was just kind of watching." A new girl, with her black hair in a low, loose ponytail asked. Rose shrugged.

"Don't know. Probably just a teacher, or advisor of some sort." 

"You might think that, but he was just staring!" Another girl with black hair protested. Ao noticed how similar the two black haired girls looked, and wondered if they were sisters.

"Sinopia, there is a large crowd around. Odds are, he was just keeping an eye on the students. It makes sense that he's a teacher though." The ponytail girl said. Rose shrugged.

"Or maybe he's a traveling Huntsman. Even though the inner kingdom is protected, there's a chance that random Grimm could make it in here." Privately, Ao thought that likelihood was fairly low. The city was well defended, as was the Academy. Also, the emotions being broadcasted, were mostly positive. Most people knew that Grimm fed off of negative emotions. He continued to study the man. He too, was young, probably a bit younger even than the headmistress. There was something vaguely familiar, but what, Ao had no clue. He had never seen the man before. He felt someone bump into him, and turned around.

"Ex...excus...excuse me." A taller boy rebounded, nearly falling in the process. Ao reached out, catching the boy's arm.

"Nervous?" he asked, just to be polite. The waves of nervousness coming from the other boy made his headache spike. 

"Y...ye...yeah." the boy gasped out. 

"If you got good grades at your previous school, I'm sure you'll be fine. You're from Atlas, aren't you? I think I saw you on the airship." Ao reassured him. The other boy gave a nervous smile.

"I...I...I am. M...my n..na...name is Xanadu."

"It's nice to meet you Xanadu. I'm Ao."

"Do...y..you...kn...know wh...where to...go?" Ao shook his head. 

"We were given permission to just explore. Maybe it would help if you knew your way around."

"M....ma...may...maybe." Xanadu admitted, looking around the now mostly empty quad. 

"I'll go with you if you want. I wouldn't mind knowing what the Academy's like." Ao offered. Xanadu smiled again. 

"T..th...thanks!" Ao walked with Xanadu, and learned as the other boy grew calmer, the stutter improved. Nervous habit then, mostly. They explored the quad, the classrooms, the great hall, the courtyards, the dormitories, practically everywhere they could fo. As it turned out, not many places were restricted. Only once were they told by an older student to move on. 

"Thanks f...for being...with me." Xanadu said, yawning as they reached the quad again.

"Of course. Feel better?" Ao asked. Xanadu certainly felt much calmer than before. The other boy smiled, and yawned again. Ao chuckled.

"Much. I...I'm going to go...to bed. S..see you later."

"See you." Ao stretched, and looked around the darkened quad. It was later than he had thought, but peaceful. Most students were headed to bed, but as he looked around, he saw a larger shadow actually on top of one of the CCT towers. Curious, he walked around so he could see the figure in the light coming from the great hall. A petite girl with a dark blue dress and black leggings sat perched on the part near the top where there was a service platform built. A pad sat in her lap, though what exactly it was, Ao wasn't sure.

"I don't know about you, but we have a long day tomorrow. Want to get some sleep?" he called up. The girl looked up, startled, before seeing him on the ground. Without replying, she jumped lightly to the ground, using a smaller service platform, then the support struts. Finally she landed, and tucked the pad away. As she came closer, Ao realized she was a Faunus, with delicate cat ears matching her ebony hair. She gave him a nod, then headed into the great hall. Ao hesitated, then fell into step with her. He sensed her tense, then relax as she realized he was content to simply walk with her. They walked into the great hall, to see the entire floor covered in talking students, pillows, and sleeping bags. The ruckus was nearly as bad as it had been earlier in the day, and emotions were running even higher. Ao winced again as his headache spiked. This, was not good. He'd have to figure out some way to deal with his semblance so that he didn't get such a raging headache. Especially if he managed to pass the tests tomorrow, and continue studying here. Everyone acted as if it were a big slumber party, which in a way, it was. Yet many seemed to have forgotten about the trials happening the next day already. 

"Maybe there'll be a few spots up on the balcony? It's a bit crowed down here." Ao suggested to the Faunus girl, as much as to himself. The girl nodded, and headed up the stairs, Ao following. He was right, it was less crowded, and thankfully, his headache quieted with being further away from the crowd. Sleeping bags lay in a pile near the head of the stairs, and the girl grabbed one before settling down in a corner. When Ao hesitated, the girl raised an eyebrow, then shifted a little to make more room. Ao grabbed another sleeping bag and settled in near her. He pulled out a book, and started to read. After about half an hour, he looked up. People were finally falling asleep, and with it, his headache was finally ebbing. 

"I'd like to change into my pajamas. Do you mind if I leave my things here? I'll watch over yours." The girl nodded again, and Ao smiled. "Thanks." He changed quickly, and returned. The girl didn't take long to change either, and they continued to sit in comfortable silence as the students below continued to quiet down. Ao yawned, and put his book down before crawling into his sleeping bag.

"My name's Ao, by the way." The girl looked up, studying him.

"Zaffre." She hesitated, then spoke again. "Thanks." Ao smiled, and went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> This work is currently not beta read, but eventually will be. The same beta for my Naruto fic will be working on this one. I am also taking a bit of a break from Rebirth, and getting other ideas out there. Hopefully, you are enjoying them just as much. As always, I will happily accept constructive criticism, comments, fan art, and ideas for where to go with the story. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Initiation trial. Grimm, maybe a few arguments and bonding. In other words, chaos as usual.

-Listen and watch those around you. You might learn something.-

Zaffre woke early, glancing over at Ao. He had been kind the previous night. Not pushy, but...just there. Friendly, a bit careful, but not overbearing. Not thrown off by her ears, despite the fact he had come from Atlas. She had heard that when he and the other boy were exploring the campus. Currently, he still slept, one arm splayed out to one side, the green loose sleeve pooling out around his hand. His brown hair was even messier, but given his neat appearance before bed, she was sure that would change. She stood, and stretched. Thankfully, the hall was still quiet. Some snoring echoed, and a few others were rustling around, awake. Zaffre dressed quickly, and gathered her things. She folded the sleeping bag neatly, and put it by the stairs, then left the hall. She found breakfast in another hall, which had very few people inside. Most of them looked half asleep. Once she finished, she ventured back outside, choosing a perch on the upper floor balcony overlooking the quad. From here, she could still see, and hear, a great deal. 

The other students gradually woke up, the noise level skyrocketing as a result. Zaffre scowled, her ears twitching. Why, did people have to be so loud? Some students had stayed up half the night talking, and she had put her pillow over her ears to just shut out some of the noise. She shook her head, and returned to her sketchpad. There was just so many cool things to draw here in Mistral. Definitely her favorite kingdom to draw. 

"All first year students, please gather in the quad." The voice of the headmistress echoed slightly over the campus grounds. In just a few moments, she stood on the steps of the great hall, Ren besides her with a Scroll ready. Zaffre stayed where she was, though she did tuck her sketchpad away. No way was she going to go down into the chaos below. It took a few minutes for all the first years to gather, some stumbling sleepily from the great hall, some from the dining hall. Others, had already been out and about. 

"Everyone slept well?" Professor Bisque clearly noticed that some hadn't, but barely paused. "Good. Airships will be arriving shortly. The initiation will take place in a maze. Let me make this quite clear right now. You are not meant to be able to complete this test alone. You must find a partner. Your tasks, while in the maze, is to find your way out, find a relic, and a partner. There are Grimm in this maze, so don't hesitate to take care of any that you encounter. However, don't be reckless! We don't want anyone killed during this test."

"What about teams?" That got a lot of the students whispering, and Professor Bisque tapped the microphone. Zaffre winced at the slight shriek, but it did get everyone else to quiet down. 

"They will be chosen after the test."

"Are we being graded?"

"Of course. You will be graded on how you perform, and also how you work alone and with others. Now, the airships will take you in groups to one of three entrances on the west side. You need to exit through one of the three entrances on the east side. Anyone who honestly believes that they are not ready, may leave now. No one will judge you." A pause went through the crowd, and Zaffre tilted her head curiously. She would have thought that anyone who applied to come to Haven, would be determined about being a Huntsman or Huntress. Yet a few people were looking uncertain, and some did leave. Interesting. She couldn't fault them for knowing themselves enough to know they couldn't handle what would come. Professor Bisque scanned the slightly smaller crowd, but all the students left were determined.

"A dozen to an airship. Let's get moving." 

Zaffre jumped down, staying to the edge of the crowd, and hurried onto an airship. Others boarded, but no one really paid any attention to her. The ship rose into the air, the view spreading out before them. Seeing the Academy from the sky, along with the surrounding trees and the city below, was awesome. 

"Wow."

"It's incredible!" All too soon, the airship descended, and Zaffre just caught a glimpse of tightly packed hedges. Well then. This was going to prove interesting. 

"Good luck, all of you!" the pilot called cheerfully. The students disembarked, to see another teacher waiting for them. Zaffre felt a small glow of pleasure realizing the woman was a bird Faunus, with brown feathers running along her head, blending with her darker brown hair. 

"This way." She led them to an opening in the high hedges, and turned to face them, the feathers in her hair stirring. "Before you is one entrance. About twenty feet to my left and right are the other entrances. Choose one. Once you are in the maze, know you will not be able to get out by climbing to the top."

"Oh? Why's th-" with a startled yell, the boy shut up. Zaffre glanced at him, seeing him entangled with vines. She looked back to the teacher with increasing respect. 

"I believe you know why. Not to mention, if you tried, you'd immediately fail. That is all." With that, the teacher stepped to the side. The boy, who Zaffre now saw was a tall Faunus boy with horns, gave the teacher a look of respect as he passed her to head down the center path. Zaffre paused as the others split up. Closing her eyes to concentrate, she listened. None of the paths had any strange sounds coming from them- yet. So at this point, it didn't matter which path she chose. Opening her eyes, she headed straight, nodding to the teacher as she passed. Then, she was in the maze. 

It was...oddly quiet, inside. Zaffre's cat ears twitched nearly constantly, trying to catch any sound. Not even forests were this quiet. Then again, the hedges had been grown purposely. And, possibly, through a semblance. Just how powerful was that teacher's semblance? Zaffre continued to walk warily, wishing that she was in the forest. Forests had trees, high up branches, which were so much easier to look out on the ground below. Still, she kept going, checking the position of the sun every so often. Still morning, so as long as her shadow stayed directly behind her, she was going the right way. She heard a slight growl, low, and a sound she had heard before. Behind, and to her left. Another passage, that she had passed moments ago. She turned, just in time to see two beowolves prowl out. One swiped at her, and she dodged smoothly out of the way, then flipped back from another paw. More growls, and barking. They circled around, then came at her from either side. At the last possible moment, Zaffre dived out of the way, rolling back to her feet. The two Grimm ran into each other, yelps of pain sounding. Zaffre drew Cahaya Bintang, and smacked both beowolves firmly on the back of their necks. The beowloves dissolved into black smoke. No more strange sounds, for now. 

Zaffre glanced up to double check the position of the sun, and turned to the right. After a few more minutes, she heard gunfire. Curious, she followed the sound. Though, she was still cautious. Peering around a few hedges, she saw a black haired girl with gauntlets, and a brown haired girl with a chain whip fighting against half a dozen beowolves. As she watched, the girl with the gauntlets shot one beowolf in the eye, and the girl with the whip lassoed another beowolf, before freezing it solid. Zaffre hadn't seen any ice dust being used. A semblance then? Regardless, the two girls had things well in hand. 

Zaffre retreated, then froze at another junction. A growl, very, very close by, and a padding of paws. Around the next corner, came a manticore. Zaffre cautiously backed up a step, then another. At this point, she knew she wasn't good enough to face a manticore. Not by herself. And of course, the manticore came from the exact passage she wanted to take. Another growl, and Zaffre made up her mind. She bolted down a different passage, the manticore close behind. The only good thing at this point, was that this manticore didn't have wings. Down another passage, sharp turns, up another, just trying to get away. 

"Dodge left!" Zaffre didn't hesitate at the voice, but dived to the left, just as she heard a shot. A thump, and the manticore slowed. Zaffre rolled and jumped to her feet. The manticore had fallen to the ground, but wasn't that hurt. A girl, with white-blonde hair and golden yellow clothes stood at the entrance to another passage, a bow ready in her hands. 

"I can distract it, if you can get in close." the girl told Zaffre. Zaffre nodded. The girl launched another shot at the manticore, just as it got back up. The Grimm roared in pain, but favored the front right paw. Zaffre saw her opportunity as the other girl continued firing. She darted in, switching Cahaya Bintang from staff, to a pair of knives in seconds. Sliding underneath the Grimm's guard, she attacked the right hind paw, before leaping out of tail range. The manticore bellowed again, and crashed on its side. Zaffre cut deep along its belly, dodging the claws, while the other girl shot a volley into the Grimm's neck. With one last howl, the Grimm slowly melted into black smoke. Zaffre collapsed on the ground, breathing hard as the adrenaline faded. 

"Hey, are you alright?" Zaffre just nodded again, as the other girl came closer. "You're really good, I honestly hadn't heard of anyone who could outrun a manticore, but you were doing it! And you're fast in combat too, and those were some great moves!" Zaffre eyed the other girl. Cheerful, talked a lot, but not loud. Skilled in combat, and smart. Not seeming to be biased against Faunus. Ok then. Zaffre took another breath, then shook her head.

"Couldn't have done it alone." 

"Well, that's part of this test, right? We aren't supposed to be able to pass alone. Plus, you already know your limits! I bet there's loads of people who are pushing themselves because they think they can do so much already." At that, Zaffre let out a snort. Yes, there probably were plenty of people like that.

"You don't have a partner yet, do you? I don't either. We could partner up if you want! My name's Saffron."

"Zaffre." The Faunus girl said, accepting Saffron's hand up. 

"Nice to meet you! So, I've been wondering. Any idea what that stone carving is doing in the middle of a maze? Well, maybe not the middle, but still. It seems odd." Zaffre followed Saffron's pointing finger, and tilted her head curiously. They approached together, and Zaffre saw a mess of interlocking rings. And when she tried to nudge a ring, it refused to move. 

"Huh. What do you think it does?" Saffron mused. Zaffre frowned, thinking over their instructions. Glancing at the disc again, it didn't seem attached to anything...carefully, she picked it up. Turning it over, she saw an inscription. Saffron looked over her shoulder, and together the two girls read. 

"Ok, so it's a puzzle, and we have to activate it so the rings line up. How do we activate it? 'Two lights together are brighter than one'? What does that mean? It can't be possible that everyone has my semblance." Zaffre glanced at Saffron, an eyebrow raised. Saffron blushed slightly, then, began to glow. 

"My semblance. I don't really know what I can do with it, I just discovered it recently. But when I get excited, or my emotions get out of control, I start glowing."

"You have enough control to use it at will." Zaffre countered. Saffron's glow faded, but she grinned. 

"I try! Doesn't last long, but it's getting better! Anyway, what do you think about the puzzle? Is it made for people with similar semblances? Do you have a light semblance?" Zaffre did her best to control her involuntary flinch. Refocusing, she glanced at the inscription. It couldn't be dependent on semblance. Some people probably didn't know their semblance, and it was extremely unlikely that two people with light semblances would be partners. So what was something everyone had? She frowned a little deeper, eyes narrowing. Carefully, she activated her aura right over her hand. Faint dark blue light covered her hand as she thickened the aura. 

"Oh..." Saffron said softly. She activated her own aura over her hand, hers golden yellow, and placed it on the stone. Both girls heard a cracking noise, and warily, Zaffre flipped the stone back over. The cracking stopped, but the rings had shifted. Both girls put their aura coated hands back on the stone, and watched as the rings continued moving, into a line, then, slowly sinking into one smooth surface. A hologram popped up, and Saffron gasped. 

"It's a map! I'll grab a picture!"

"Don't move your hand." Zaffre warned, seeing the image flicker as Saffron started to lift her aura coated hand off. Sheepishly, Saffron put her hand back, and put her bow down, reaching into a back pouch for her Scroll. Snapping a picture, she nodded. The girls removed their hands, and the hologram disappeared, before the rings popped back up and became jumbled again. 

"That was amazing! That's such a clever way to have a puzzle activate, and it can give us an advantage! If people don't solve these, they'll have a harder time getting through the maze!" Zaffre frowned thoughtfully again. It had been implied that there were more than one of these puzzles. 

"May I see the picture?" 

"Sure!" Saffron brought up the picture of the map, and they studied it. Saffron's face fell.

"Oh, it's not complete. It shows where we are, the section of the maze we've already been through, and dots, but not the entire maze. Unless...the other puzzles are probably the dots, and they have more of the map! Let's go!" Zaffre raised an eyebrow briefly at the other girl. She was...enthusiastic. Yet, there was no reason not to keep moving. Zaffre glanced at the sun, and at their shadows on the ground. The passage they needed to take, was to their left. Not to mention, one of the dots seemed to be in that rough direction. Together, they set off down the passage. Twenty minutes later or so, they came across another stone disc. Quickly using their aura again, they got a hologram of another section of the maze. 

"Hey, this is the next section forward! And it shows how to get to the center of the maze! Come on!" Zaffre darted off after Saffron as the blonde girl hurried down the next set of passages. The did run into a bit of a snag, rounding the next corner. Saffron yelped, and Zaffre's eyes narrowed, hearing the growls. Seeing Saffron dealing with the Beowulf she had run into, Zaffre hurried in to cover her. She threw one of her knives at the beowolf trying to flank Saffron, then used the other knife to kill the one right in front of her. Shaking off her initial shock, Saffron used her bow as a club, and Zaffre realized the outside edge of the other girl's bow was bladed. 

"Here!" Zafffre caught her knife when Saffron threw it to her, converting back into her staff. She spun out of the way of one beowolf, only for it to be killed by a shot from Saffron's bow. Redirecting the momentum of the next two, she let them impale themselves on her knifes. Saffron shot over her head, eliminating another three. After that, Zaffre lost count of how many either of them killed. She darted in and out, gracefully dodging, spinning, ducking, and flipping as she also hit, stabbed, and slashed. Saffron provided cover, shooting all of the Beowolves that got past Zaffre's guard, or tried to circle around. Finally, Zaffre slashed across the throat of one, and Saffron shot another in an eye. Zaffre's ears twitched at the sudden quiet, and she glanced around. The ground full of fallen Grimm dissipating into black smoke, and both her and Saffron were ok. Saffron still was smiling, albeit tiredly, and a bit sadly. 

"I'm sorry about hurrying in like that! So close to the center, I didn't expect there to be Grimm, or so many! I know for next time, I won't rush in like that. Thanks for backing me up!" Saffron glanced at her, then sighed. "I suppose you find me reckless, or stupid, or something like that." Zaffre blinked.

"A tad reckless, perhaps. Stupid, no." 

"Oh. Well then, that's different. Why not?" Zaffre shrugged. 

"We're just students. You know what you did wrong. And you're going to fix it."

"Oh. Well that's different from what most people think, and..." Saffron shook her head. "Anyway, thanks. Should we continue on then? A little more carefully?" Zaffre nodded. More cautiously this time, they continued forward, finally reaching the center of the maze. There, they found a large circle of stone pedestals, on top of which stood disks of metal. 

"These are the relics? Medallions? I mean, I suppose it works, but I don't know, I expected...something grander? Should we just pick one, or is this another puzzle? There's only one other medallion missing. So not many people have made it here yet." 

"Look at the pedestals." Zaffre muttered. Saffron gasped as she saw the interlocking rings on the pedestals, matching the ones they had already seen. Quickly, she brought up an aura coated hand, then hesitated. 

"Pick a medallion before or after? Do we have to check all of them?" Zaffre quickly walked around the clearing, checking the rings. They were all identical.

"I think the holograms will be the same. Pick a medallion." Saffron nodded, and picked up the silver medallion from the pedestal she was standing in front of. Zaffre then joined her in placing an aura coated hand on the pedestal. As before, the rings moved, and sank, creating a smooth surface. Saffron snapped a photo of the hologram that appeared, before the two girls studied the picture. 

"Incomplete again. But it does show a lot of the eastern portion of the maze, and more dots. That one seems to be the closest. Maybe we'll get out of here before noon!" Zaffre glanced at the sun. It was getting later in the morning, they would be pushing things if they wanted to get out before noon. And there was no accounting for any Grimm they might encounter. Still, she was...reluctant to burst Saffron's bubble. So, Zaffre said nothing as they left the center of the maze. 

They found their way to the next stone disk, got the final part of the map, and continued on. They did run into more Grimm, a few alpha beowolves, which took a little more effort to kill than the usual beowolves. Towards the end, Zaffre heard a different noise than she had become used to; lighter footfalls, close by. Other students, probably. But that would be dealt with later. For now, she and Saffron had Grimm to deal with. Ducking under a claw swipe, she redirected another with her staff, maneuvering the alpha into an exposed position. From there, Saffron had an unimpeded shot straight into the alpha's chest. Saffron took full advantage, landing the killing blow. The human girl sat on the ground, taking a bit of a break. 

"Whew. Don't know about you, but I'm getting tired. Why are there so many Grimm in here? Sure, we need to be tested, but just how skilled of students do they want?" Zaffre blinked.

"You may have hit it on the head."

"Huh? What do you mean?" 

"You've paid attention to recent history? Huntsmen numbers are low. But the leaders of the world don't want to throw away lives." 

"Oh, of course! The Academies are trying to train more advanced students starting at the beginning years! I mean, it'll still take a while to finish our schooling, but still. Quality over quantity. That'll serve the world better when we do graduate. That's great!" Saffron said happily. Zaffre glanced over her shoulder, hearing the lighter footsteps again. Closer this time, and within moments, two boys appeared. One, was the Faunus boy that had challenged the teacher before Zaffre had entered the maze. The other, was Ao. Ao nodded a greeting at the two girls, as Saffron bounded to her feet. 

"Oh, hi Zaffre, hi Saffron. How are you doing?" 

"Do you know everyone? You just arrived yesterday." the Faunus boy asked disbelievingly. 

"I remember faces, and names well. I met a lot of people yesterday." Ao replied, shrugging. 

"Huh." 

"Hi! Hi Ao! We've been doing pretty good! We've fought a lot of Grimm, and found the center of the maze, collected our relic, and just working on getting out! What about you?" Saffron reeled off. 

"We've been struggling. We can't figure out the stone puzzles. We haven't managed to get to the center." Ao admitted, running a hand through his hair. The two girls exchanged a look. Zaffre wasn't opposed to helping the boys, but she didn't want to do everything for them. 

"Well, the stone puzzles are key to making the test easier. If you can solve them, you can find the center of the maze. The puzzles need two people to activate them." Saffron said. 

"Activate them, huh?" the Faunus boy mused. Ao studied Saffron, then started to smile. 

"They're maps, aren't they. Alright then. Think we can retract our steps to the last puzzle?" he asked his partner. The Faunus boy crossed his arms. 

"You better hope so. And if we don't get out of here before nightfall..." 

"I'll be lucky to have a partner like you. I'm assuming that you can see in the dark Rosso?" 

"Huh. So you knew about that. Yeah, I can." 

"Thanks. See you when we finish this." Ao told the two girls, before turning to retrace his steps. Rosso was already ahead of him. 

"Good luck!" Saffron called after them. Ao paused, and raised a hand to say goodbye. Then, he and Rosso rounded the corner. Saffron looked back at Zaffre, and brought up their last picture. 

"Ok, so if we just follow these passages, we should get out soon. Left, left again, right, left, and right. Hopefully no more Grimm. I'm tired." Zaffre nodded. They had encountered a lot of Grimm. Of course, that statement might have jinxed them. 

Another manticore just had to block their way shortly before the last passage. Zaffre hissed in annoyance. She would have taken either variant of the beowolf over another manticore. And, this one had wings. Saffron reacted quickly, launching a rapid valley of shots, reinforced with her aura. With the reinforcement, the shots punctured the wings in several spots, before Zaffre darted in, slicing at one wing with her knives, and jumping back out of tail range. The manticore howled in pain, but the girls had done their job well. The most important threat, had been taken care of. 

"Do you want to stay with the same tactics we've been using to finish it off?" Saffron suggested. Before Zaffre could reply, they dodged a strike from the tail. The two girls were then further separated by a combination of tail strikes, and claw swipes. Saffron swung at a paw descending toward her with the bladed edge of her bow. The manticore recoiled with a yelp of pain. Zaffre took the opportunity to cut at another paw. Then, hastily dodged a tail strike aimed at her. At this point, they were really only annoying the larger Grimm. 

"Coordinated strikes. Hit one paw at a time." Zaffre suggested. 

"Sounds like a plan! Hit the areas we've already hit!" Saffron struck again with the bladed part of her bow, slicing across another paw. Zaffre darted in, aura thickening on her knives. With that, she cut through the paw, leaving only a stump. The manticore roared with pain, and its tail descended towards her. Zaffre dived out of the way, scrambling out of range. Carefully, she and Saffron darted in and out, and managed to cut another paw off. Once again, the manticore roared in pain, and the tail jabbed at them again. Saffron and Zaffre both darted out of the way. From a distance, they surveyed the injured Grimm. It was standing, barely. The girls had cut off both a front and back paw, but on opposite sides. 

"The tail's going to be a problem. It's getting more vicious the more we hurt it!" Zaffre's eyes narrowed. She hesitated, then made up her mind. 

"I'll throw my knives. Weaken the tip, if not cut it off. Get in, and take care of the rest."

"But that'll leave you defenseless!" 

"I'm fast." Saffron studied her, then nodded.

"Ok. Go ahead, I'll cover you!" She then distracted the manticore, taunting it. Zaffre moved a bit closer, took careful aim, and threw her knives, one after the other. The venomous tip hung by a thread, which Saffron took advantage of. Another shot, and the tail was taken care of. The manticore, on instinct, reared up, but couldn't stay steady. Saffron charged in, easily dodging the attempted bite, and cut across the manticore's throat. The Grimm dissolved into black smoke, and Zaffre retrieved her knives. 

"Glad that worked." Saffron muttered. She looked up at Zaffre. "Don't know about you, but I really don't want to spend any more time in here." Zaffre nodded in agreement. They hurried down the final passage, and out of the eastern side of the maze. An airship waited, with a pilot standing by. 

"That was fast. You two have a relic?" Saffron showed off the medallion, and the pilot grinned. "Come aboard then. I'll drop you off at the Academy. You'll have a while to wait before everyone finishes I think. You're only the second pair out." Too tired to reply, the girls simply boarded the ship. Saffron sat across from Zaffre as they rose into the air. 

"That was something. But we did it!" Zaffre nodded, her ears and eyes drooping. But she stayed awake, until they reached the Academy. Saffron looked around. 

"I'm going to see if I can find out who else finished." 

"I'm going to take a nap." Zaffre muttered, and left to find the quietest spot she could. The day, had been far too busy and exhausting, in her opinion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Formations

-The ability to be cheerful against all odds is a cherished gift. Spread that gift wherever you go, so that others might have hope.-

"I wonder if partners are really permanent. I mean, just say that someone partnered up in the maze, and they can't stand the other? But then again, it's only been two days. But how long do they give it before rearranging people? Do you think that everyone will return from the maze? What if not enough people pass in order to form full teams? Will partners be rotated...but that doesn't make total sense either. Will they reformat teams then? How will teams be formed? I've heard of so many teams sticking together after school, and those bonds were made in school. Probably since the beginning of their years." Saffron muttered, pacing in a small circle. She glanced to the screens set up below, showing the progress of those still in the maze. Everyone had at least partnered up by now, at least, those who were left. A lot of students had dropped out, between all the Grimm in the maze, getting lost, or being unable to solve the puzzles. Some, had tried to cheat their way through, only to be disqualified. 

As it stood currently, sixteen pairs had managed to make it out. Another dozen pairs were still in the maze, though some were getting close to finishing. From her view on the balcony, she could see a few people she recognized. Ao and Rosso had made it in not too long after nightfall on the first day. Bistre and his partner, a shy boy, had made it in yesterday. But she didn't recognize anyone else. Saffron let out a frustrated sigh. She started pacing again, in a slightly larger circle this time. How much longer was this going to take? Were some people really struggling with the Grimm? Or had some people not figured out the puzzles at all? It was possible to get through the maze without them, but so much harder. She heard a slight sigh behind her, and turned to her partner. Zaffre, curled up with a pad on her lap, pointed with her pencil to the floor.

"Pacing won't do you any good. They'll finish when they finish." the Faunus girl said mildly. Saffron let out her own sigh, and sat. Before long though, her fingers started drumming on her knees. It was agonizing waiting! And she had been waiting for over a day now! She heard another slight sigh, and glanced at Zaffre, just in time to catch something that the Faunus girl had tossed her. 

"Um...well, I'm sorry if I'm annoying you! I just...I really want to know about teams and I'm having trouble understanding just what is taking some people so long, and I just need something to do!" Zaffre raised an eyebrow, and Saffron glanced down at the object. It was a book, and Saffron couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. It was a book of fairytales. That would work. Saffron flipped the book open, and read. The Four Maidens, The Tale of Two Brothers, the Girl in the Tower, The Hunter's Children. But then she reached her favorite tale. 

"Silver-Eyed Warriors. Anyone born with silver eyes is destined to become a warrior. They're strong, fast, and have courage, and a strong will. With such a strong light inside of them, it's said that Grimm are afraid of these warriors, and that a single look from them can kill a Grimm." she said softly, running a finger along the lines. "So cool." 

"Why?" Saffron's head snapped up, to see Zaffre studying her.

"What?" 

"Why do you think the story is cool?"

"Couple of reasons. I really like all fairytales, they're just fun overall, but there's so much symbolism behind them! And, a couple, I think are real, because of a few historical accounts I've heard of. But I really like the Silver-Eyed Warriors tale because of the symbolism there. I mean, it's kinda simple, it's basically that the light will always find a way against the dark. I think the light is both humans and Faunus, and that they'll always survive against the Grimm. Again, simple, but sometimes simple is best. Symbolism aside, I also like the possibilities. I mean, the ability to take out Grimm that easily is really cool! Just think of how much good, and how much hope a single warrior like that can do! Besides, there's potential proof that these warriors aren't just a fairytale, but that they're real! I've heard and read plenty of accounts that the Huntress Ruby Rose has silver eyes, and that she's really, really good at fighting off Grimm! She's so cool!" 

"Yet a power like that could be a shortcut. Rumors also state that Ruby Rose was hunted for her eyes." Zaffre countered. Saffron paused, thinking. 

"Well, yeah, I could see a power like that being a shortcut. Especially if you were to rely on that. And I guess it'd be a cheap shot against Grimm like beowolves, or other small, or low power Grimm. But what about higher power Grimm? Grimm that no one person, or team, can really defeat, because they're too powerful? Or if you're surprised in battle, and it's a life or death choice? Wouldn't it make sense to use that sort of power then?" 

"If it is life or death, yes. A larger Grimm, would depend on the type."

"Do you mean that you wouldn't use it on a Grimm like the manticore?" Zaffre nodded. Saffron tilted her head.

"Makes sense. I mean, just the two of us managed to take care of a couple in the maze. But maybe you'd use it on the deep sea monsters? Well, technically there's only rumors of them, same with the super strong Grimm that are rumored to live deep in the forest. But still, something like that?"

"I'd still fight first."

"Hmm. Ok then. Last resort, which I guess makes sense. Especially if you didn't want to broadcast that sort of power. Which...I don't really get? Because you could be a beacon with that sort of power, someone to really look up to. I don't know if I really want to become famous, but I don't know, if I had silver eyes, I don't think I'd want to abuse them, but I would want to be a role model for others. Ruby is, but...well, I heard that she was hunted for her eyes too. But I don't get it! Who would want to do that? It's not like silver eyes can be transplanted. At least, I think so. Anyway, with all of humanity and Faunus under the threat of Grimm, why would you even want to hurt someone with silver eyes?"

"Power. Control. Jealousy can do many things." The note of bitterness in Zaffre's voice surprised Saffron. From what she had seen so far, Zaffre was on the quiet side, didn't seem to like crowds, and could be a little cynical. But the bitterness, this was new. 

"What...what all do you mean?"

"People can be jealous of other's abilities." Zaffre frowned slightly, and tapped her pencil thoughtfully on her pad. "Think of the silver eyes as a level above a semblance. People can be jealous of other's semblances, if they're flashy, or powerful. Now add the silver eyes ability on top." Saffron thought about that one. She hadn't ever been jealous of the kids who had figured out their semblances before her. It always seemed to happen after they had been hurt in some way or another. She hadn't figured out that semblances could kick in during training or sometime else until she had unlocked her own. And she had always done well in school, so...had she ever been jealous of someone? The only thing she could think of, was wishing that she had friends. But she also had Bistre, and she hoped to make more, so...not really. But...in Sanctum, she had seen others who had shunned stronger students. 

"I don't think I've ever felt that way. I mean, everyone's got their own abilities. If someone has stronger abilities than me, that means I have a goal to work on. Or that I just admire them, and move on. But I did see some kids during my time at Sanctum who were really nasty towards some of the more skilled students. So I don't think it's really the case for me, but...I guess I can see how other people can be that jealous, that they actually want to hurt people." She said reluctantly. "Who, well, how has jealousy affected you?" Zaffre stayed silent, eyes down. Saffron winced slightly. That may have been too personal for her partner. They hadn't known each other all that long, even if they did get along alright. Saffron went back to the book of fairytales, reading The Man Who Stared at the Sun. 

"I can fight well. Some...didn't like how easily I picked up those skills." Zaffre's voice, even quieter than usual, brought Saffron out of the stories again. She blinked, and realized Zaffre's cat ears were nearly flat against her head.

"Oh. But you still had to train, had to get your combat style smooth and everything. Those people didn't see that?" Zaffre shook her head. Saffron sighed, but then smiled.

"Well, that's in your past now! I certainly don't care if you're great at combat! Well, I do, but I won't get jealous or anything like that! I think the only thing I'd do would be to ask if you'd give me some pointers. Like you said in the maze, we're all still just students and have a lot to learn. I bet there's areas that you're not as good at, and will need practice at. If we stick together, as partners...no, even if we don't. I'd still like to count you a friend, and I'd still help if you asked for it." That, got the first smile Saffron had even seen out of the Faunus girl. 

"Thank you, Saffron." A pause, as Zaffre considered something. "I'd like to have you as a friend too."

"Of course!" Saffron said happily. A bell rang then, and Saffron jumped to her feet, the book tumbling to the floor. Rushing to the railing, Saffron checked the screens. Another two pairs had made it out of the maze, and two more pairs had dropped out. Only eight more pairs left. Saffron sighed slightly. It was getting closer, but still. 

"Two pairs finished, and two more dropped out. There's only eight pairs left in the maze." Saffron reported to Zaffre, plopping back down. "I just wish they'd hurry up!" Zaffre didn't do much, except raise an eyebrow again. Saffron got the hint, and went back to the book of fairytales. There were still plenty of stories to read through. Interestingly enough, Zaffre's copy of fairytales had stories Saffron had never read before. She had occasionally heard of the Shallow Sea, but never read it. Same thing with The Judgement of the Faunus. 

"Hey Zaffre? Where's you get this book? There's fairytales I've never read before, and I've read a lot."

"Which ones?"

"The Shallow Sea, and The Judgement of the Faunus. I've heard of the Shallow Sea, but never The Judgement of the Faunus." 

"Ah. Humans don't typically focus on Faunus stories, fairytale or not. My book is from Menagerie."

"Oh, that..." Saffron drooped a bit. "That unfortunately makes sense. Do other books in Menagerie have both human and Faunus stories?"

"Some." Saffron nodded to herself. She didn't have a problem with Faunus. Sometimes, she thought they were really cool, especially if they figured out how to effectively use their animal traits to make things easier for themselves. Yet, because she had grown up in Mistral, she had seen plenty of people who hated the Faunus, for one reason or another. She let out a sigh, then finished reading the fairytale book, before returning it to Zaffre. 

She got up, and stretched. Yesterday had been a nice day to just rest, after the maze, but right now, she wanted to stretch her legs. She headed down the stairs, and then outside, taking a large breath. The afternoon air felt good, not too hot but not very cold either. Some of the cherry trees were in bloom. Spring in Mistral was easily her favorite time of year. She walked around, admiring the Academy grounds, waving cheerfully at others walking around, and keeping an eye out for airships. A few did land, releasing exhausted first years. Saffron paused, and counted. Hmm, eight kids. Did that mean more people had finished, or were those the people who had finished while she was still in the hall. Unable to resist her curiosity, Saffron ran to the great hall. She grinned, seeing that only four pairs had yet to finish. She went back outside to finish her walk though. Finally, by nightfall, the last pairs had finished, or dropped out, and all the kids were back at the academy. Saffron stood leaning against the railing again, and this time, Zaffre had joined her. Professor Bisque stood on the mezzanine, looking out over the various students. 

"Well done, to all those who attempted the maze. I know you faced a lot, even if you didn't pass. For those who attempted to cheat, this is not a game. This is the start to a hard schooling, that will prepare you for the dangers present in the world. You cannot cheat your way out of an encounter with Grimm. Am I understood?" A few sullen yeses echoed in the hall, and Professor Bisque nodded. 

"Now, onto a happier topic. After discussion with my professors, and viewing your efforts in the maze, I will now announce teams. Be aware that the partners formed in the maze, will be your partners for the rest of your schooling. Please come up here, when your name is called. After the team is announced, head back down the stairs, but stay near the front." A pause, probably for dramatic effect. Saffron could have cheerfully throttled the headmistress at this point. Zaffre shot her an amused look, and Saffron let out a long sigh, drumming her fingers on the railing. 

"Will Desereé Caramel, Almendra Crème, Sienna Scarlet, and Rose Jardiain come up please?" Saffron watched curiously as the four girls threaded their way through the crowd. She had seen a couple of them since that morning, the other two coming in later. 

"Desereé Caramel, Almendra Crème, you selected a gold stone medallion. Sienna Scarlet, Rose Jardian, you selected a bronze river medallion. Together, you will form team DASR, led by Desereé Caramel." The monkey Faunus girl gasped, then grinned. Her fellow teammates congratulated her, and they headed back down the stairs, whispering excitedly. 

"Bistre Choco, Lapis Luzi, Xanadu Nuage, and Sinopia Scarlet. Please come up." Saffron grinned, watching Bistre confidently climb the stairs. "Lapis Luzi, Sinopia Scarlet, you retrieved the silver forest medallion. Bistre Choco, Xanadu Nuage, you retrieved the gold stone medallion. Together, you will form team BLXS, led by Bistre Choco." Bistre froze, and Saffron laughed. It was just like her friend, doing his best, and not expecting anything in return.

"Go Bistre!" she yelled, as he descended the stairs. He looked around, and spotted her, then gave her a wave.

"And now, will Ao Jade, Zaffre Malam, Saffron Sunglow, and Rosso Corsa please come up." Saffron bounded to the stairs, Zaffre silently following. Ao and Rosso met them at the foot of the stairs, and Ao smiled.

"Saffron, you're glowing." Saffron grinned, but took a moment to deactivate her semblance. Then, they climbed the stairs. Professor Bisque smiled at them. 

"Zaffre Malam, Saffron Sunglow, you collected the silver forest medallion. Ao Jade, Rosso Corsa, you collected the bronze river medallion. Together, you will be team AZSR, led by Ao Jade." Ao's jaw dropped, and Saffron laughed. Ao hastily closed it, but then smiled. Rosso nodded.

"Not bad." Zaffre gave Ao a nod as well, and they headed down the stairs, standing by the other teams. 

"I'm afraid that only these three teams passed. It is a small class of first years, but let's give them our congratulations!" A massive cheer rose up from the assembled students and teachers, and Saffron grinned. She had done it, she had passed, she had made it onto a team at Haven! 

"Those who didn't pass, I must ask you to leave now. First years, you have the rest of this evening to settle into the dorms. Tomorrow, we all celebrate the beginning of the new school year! After that, classes begin." A slight groan rose from the crowd, but Professor Bisque only smiled. "Your dorm assignments are now posted, and I recommend that you don't leave anything until the last minute. Schedules will be posted later tonight, and school uniforms delivered to your rooms. Oh, and dinner starts now! Off you go!" 

Chaos reigned as students, guests, and teachers started talking excitedly, or gathering their things, or heading out to dinner. By silent agreement, Saffron, Ao, Zaffre, and Rosso headed to the dining hall, which was even nosier than the great hall. Zaffre kept her ears down, wincing occasionally as areas of the hall got noisier. Saffron heard snatches of conversations as they ate, people comparing experiences, some imagining what they could do with their dorms, some older students taking bets on the first year team dynamics, and some were going to be wandering around campus. 

"I guess we should go see to our dorm. It'll probably take a while to unpack, but hopefully it'll be less crowded." Ao said, as they finished. At the dormitories, they got their room number, and got their Scrolls programmed, before venturing upstairs to the fifth floor. Rosso opened the door, revealing a large, open room. Two sets of bunkbeds, a giant window and a door leading out to a small balcony, several bookshelves, a large desk, and a cabinet. Another door led to a small bathroom, with alcoves for storage. The view out the window, with the sunset, was absolutely incredible. They could see almost the entire academy.

"This is nice. Not what I was expecting, but nice." Rosso mused. 

"What were you expecting?" Ao asked curiously. Rosso stared at him.

"Smaller." Rosso finally admitted. 

"It's a decent size, but there's still four of us. We may not have a lot of things, but we probably all want our own space. We should probably figure that out now." Ao mused.

"Oh, like who gets how much space with the desk, the walls, the bookshelves, stuff like that? And who takes what section of the bathroom alcoves, and the cabinet?" Saffron asked.

"Right. We can all share the desk for schoolwork, but we each get an individual drawer. As for the walls, I think we can personalize the spaces within the boundaries of whichever bed we choose. And the bookshelves on the wall, we can divide the upper and lower spaces into four sections. But the shelves under the window, we can keep our school notes and textbooks in." Zaffre nodded in agreement. 

"That's actually really fair. And it makes sense. I'm in." Rosso agreed.

"Sounds good to me! So which bed is whose?" Saffron asked. They all glanced at each other, then darted for a bed. Zaffre darted for a top bunk, Saffron dived for the bed underneath. Ao and Rosso ran into each other, each aiming for the top bunk on the other side. 

"We could switch off." Ao suggested tentatively. Rosso gave him a flat look.

"No." 

"I'll take the bottom one then. I'm so used to being above the ground. It won't hurt me to take a different perspective." Ao offered. Rosso hesitated slightly, then nodded.

"Sure." Ao glanced over at the two girls.

"Do you want a curtain or something, around your beds, just for a bit of privacy?" 

"I'd like that. Sure!" Zaffre nodded as well. Spotting the hooks in place around the beds, Saffron ventured out into the hall. A supply closet stood towards the end of the hall, and Saffron grinned. In addition to the expected cleaning supplies, boxes held extra pillows, blankets, lamps, fans, and little knickknacks in case something needed replacing. There were also curtains, both extra ones for the shower and window, but also ones for the bed. Saffron returned triumphantly to the dorm, and worked with Zaffre to get the curtain hung. The rest of the evening, they unpacked what they had brought, and personalized their spaces. Saffron hummed while she worked, a song from one of the most popular bands on the planet. After just a few minutes, the same started playing. Saffron looked around, before seeing Rosso's Scroll propped up against the window frame. Rosso shrugged slightly, looking pleased. 

"I like that song too. No one seemed to mind you humming, so I figured we could all enjoy the music."

"They are a good band." Ao agreed. 

"Do you have the entire album?" Saffron asked eagerly. Rosso smirked. 

"Better. I have all the music they've released so far. It's on a playlist, so I can just keep it on."

"That's great, thanks!" Saffron went back to unpacking her school supplies, and marking which drawer on the desk was hers. Then, it was choosing a section of the cabinet, and an alcove in the bathroom. Zaffre had finished putting away her extra clothes, and moved slightly to give Saffron more room. 

"Hey Saffron? Where did you find the curtain?" Ao asked, a little while later.

"There's a supply closet at the end of the hallway." Saffron replied, jerking her thumb in the direction of the closet. "It's got a load of cleaning supplies, but there's also all sorts of things, like extras for stuff if things need replacing, and they've also got extra pillows and blankets. So basically, it has anything we might need. Well, maybe not everything, but close." Ao chuckled.

"I'll be back then. I'm grabbing more pillows." Saffron nodded, and turned to the wall space around her bed. She had posters she wanted to put up, but the question was, how. Taking some of her books, she started arranging them on the floor.

"What the heck are you doing?" Rosso asked. 

"Trying to figure out how I want to put my posters up. My books are the same shape, and roughly the same dimensions, though smaller, so if I can figure out a layout with my books, I can put my posters up, and not have to keep adjusting them. Oh, and I have the books color coded, so I don't have them mixed up." Saffron explained, glancing up at the tall Faunus boy. He frowned.

"That's...different." 

"Yeah, but it usually works!" Ao returned, his arms full of pillows, and started arranging them on his bed. Saffron found a layout that she liked, then started to put her posters up, occasionally glancing back at the books to remember the exact positions. As she finished, they heard a knock on the doorframe. Saffron glanced over to see Bistre standing in the hall, smiling.

"Hello everyone. Any chance I could borrow Saffron for a while? Or are you busy team bonding?"

"I think some of the bonding can wait. Come on! I want to hear all about your team so far, and I want more details on the maze than 'we passed'. See ya!" Saffron threw over her shoulder as she raced out the door, grabbing Bistre's wrist on the way. They slowed down once they made it outside, and Bistre laughed.

"A grueling entrance exam, trying to unpack, and bond with your team, and you're still this full of energy. I don't know how you do it Fron!"

"You've always said that I have a fire in me that won't go out! I think this is proof!"

"I think all of our misadventures when we were younger was proof. So, more details on the maze. Well, I didn't encounter any Grimm before I met Xanadu. We fought of a pack of beowolves, plus a few alphas. We ran into a few other pairs, and if they were struggling with Grimm, or had gotten completely lost, we tried to help. We finally made it to the center, got our medallion, and found our way out. We had to fight off another pack of beowolves before we could get out though."

"Oh. You didn't figure out the puzzles?"

"Puzzles?" 

"The stone disks, scattered throughout the maze, and the pedestals that the medallions were on! They were activated by aura, and showed sections of the maze!" Bistre stared at her for a moment, then groaned. 

"No, we didn't. That would have made our lives a lot easier. We just thought they were decorations. Xanadu and I just have a good sense of direction, and relied on that. I take it you figured it out?"

"We did! Zaffre was the one to figure out that the puzzles needed two auras to activate it, but still! Oh, and I don't know if Zaffre fought any Grimm before she met me, but I had killed an alpha beowolf. And then when I met Zaffre, she was running from a manticore, and get this! She was outrunning it." 

"Your partner was outrunning a manticore? Did it have wings?"

"No, that one didn't. We fought another one later that did. And we fought a large pack of beowolves, and more alpha beowolves."

"Outrunning a manticore. Zaffre is fast then."

"She is! And she's got this awesome combat style, she just lets her opponents tire themselves out, and redirects their momentum around her. Zaffre's a close combat specialist, I don't think her weapons have a long range function. But she can throw her knives with quite a bit of accuracy, so I guess that counts?" 

"I think it does. What else have you learned about Zaffre?" 

"She seems to like reading, and I think she draws. But while we were waiting, she let me read one of her books, and we got into this great discussion over it! She's also fairly quiet, but I think she's had a hard time growing up. I think she's been discriminated against, because she's a Faunus."

"It's sad that Faunus are still discriminated against. They're people, just like anyone else." Bistre sighed. 

"Well, you and I know that, but there's still plenty of people who don't."

"True. What about the rest of your team?"

"Well, I haven't had as much time with them. But Ao's the one who was ok with me the very first day, and he's really nice! Rosso, I don't really know too much about, but he does like music! And he was playing music from my favorite band while we were getting the dorm organized! He and Ao are kinda tiptoeing around each other, I don't think they've tried to bond much yet. But it's not bad, they're just being careful around each other."

"Sounds like you guys are off to a good start. No arguments yet?"

"Nah. Ao suggested an efficient and fair way to divide spaces up, so we're just getting everything organized really. I think it's really a bit early to have arguments between the team. I mean, it's only been a few hours since the teams were formed!"

"You'd be surprised." Bistre said dryly. Saffron glanced at him curiously, and he let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. 

"Xanadu and I get along fine. We're taking it slow, but it's been good so far. But Lapis and Sinopia? They fight like cats and dogs. Can't agree on anything, and actually started to physically fight in the dorm, before I told them to take it outside. I also added that if they got caught by a teacher, it wasn't my problem. They left after that."

"What were they arguing over?" 

"Space, mostly. At least, that's where it started. We all have a decent amount of things, so the room's a bit cramped for us. But Sinopia brought up something that happened in the maze, and that set Lapis off. Lapis has an ice semblance, and she's powerful. The temperature of the room actually started to drop. I don't think Lapis has very good control over her semblance yet."

"So she's like me, that if my emotions get out of control, so does my semblance?" 

"Right. In any case, the girls are somewhere on campus, and Xanadu and I agreed to get a breath of fresh air. We also agreed to organize our own things, around our beds, but leave everything else alone. No need to hack off the girls further. So, I figured I should check in on you."

"Thanks! I really am doing fine, and I'm looking forward to the party tomorrow!"

"Well then, we should get back to the dorms. Get plenty of rest, so we can have fun." When they reached Bistre's dorm, which was a door down from Saffron's, a black haired girl with her hair in a loose ponytail was waiting for them. Saffron could help but stare, briefly, at the girl's arms. They were covered in scars. 

"Hi. My name is Sienna. Sinopia's my sister. I wanted to check up on her, but she's not in the building, and she hasn't replied to my messages. Do you know where she is?" 

"Outside, somewhere. She and Lapis were arguing, and I told them to not fight inside." Bistre told her apologetically. Sienna's eyes narrowed. 

"It actually came to fighting?"

"Just about. I'm sorry?" Sienna shook her head and sighed.

"No, don't be. Sinopia's touchy around people at the best of times. I'm guessing her teammate must have really hacked her off somehow. Thanks for letting me know. Little bit of advice, if Sinopia's that angry, she does best with letting off steam on her own. Walking around outside usually helps her, so you made a good call."

"Thanks. Team leader...well, the whole thing is still new to me." 

"I think you'll do ok. Just takes time. I'm going to get to bed, so I'll see you later."

"Bye!" Sienna waved, and disappeared into the dorm right across the hall from Saffron's. Bistre gave her a quick hug.

"Night Fron. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Sure thing! See you!" 

"They delivered the school uniforms. We're allowed to add our own touches, and there's options for how we wear them." Ao informed her, when she stepped back inside the room. He pointed to a pile of neatly folded clothes on her bed. Saffron noticed the others were all in pajamas, but still very much awake. 

"Cool! Hey, do you know if we have to wear them at the celebration tomorrow, or do we wear more formal outfits? Oh, and weren't the schedules supposed to be posted today? What are our classes? And are meals at the same times? Should we get up early? Do you take a long time to get up? I don't really want to be late for classes!"

"We're supposed to wear more formal clothes tomorrow for the party. Party starts technically at breakfast, and there'll be games and other activities. Oh, and there'll be food all day tomorrow, and dancing. The schedules are posted, and our classes start at nine. Apparently, they switch off days for classes. One set is on an 'a' day, the other set on a 'b' day. Meals are at the same times, so getting up early wouldn't be a bad idea. I'd prefer a leisurely breakfast. I do take a long time to wake up, but I can set an alarm on my Scroll, and have it close to me so it doesn't wake you guys." Ao explained patiently. 

"Ok, sounds good! I can take a bit to get up, so I'll set an alarm too. Besides, wearing party clothes means I'd like a bit more time to get ready." Saffron grinned at the suddenly wary looks on both of the boys' faces.

"Um. How long does it really take for you to get ready for a party?"

"Well, I don't take too long to get dressed, but doing my hair, and putting a bit of makeup on, that takes longer. Zaffre?" 

"I won't take long." Zaffre promised. 

"Ok, so maybe if you two want the bathroom, get up early so I don't get in your way later?" Rosso groaned, but nodded. Ao chuckled, a little sheepishly. 

"You get first crack at bathroom Rosso. I...can take a bit to get ready too." Rosso sat up, glaring at Ao. 

"Don't tell me that all those fancy-pancy Atlas parties make even boys get super fussy."

"A little? I don't take long to get dressed, promise! But my hair never wants to behave, and it takes ages for me to fix that." Rosso groaned again, and flopped back on his bed.

"Screw it. Fine, I'll get up early, and get the bathroom first. You'll be lucky if I don't use up all the hot water!" Saffron giggled, unfazed by the glare Rosso shot in her direction. 

"All alarms early then. Maybe you can set your alarm to go off on a really loud song on your playlist Rosso. Wouldn't that make you feel better?" 

"I'm not doing that." Rosso said flatly. Saffron shrugged. 

"Ok, suit yourself!" She put away her uniforms, and changed for bed. Tomorrow was going to be such fun!


	4. Chapter 4

-Teamwork is a worthy goal, as is friendship. But relationships aren't built on nothing.-

Rosso scowled slightly, hearing the level of noise. It was far too early, he hadn't been awake for nearly long enough to deal with this. Yes, he had been woken up just as the sun was rising. Yes, the shower had felt wonderful, and woken him up plenty. And the relative quiet time, while the others got ready, had also been nice. He had been surprised to find out that Zaffre refused to wear makeup. She hadn't taken long to change into a slim, but flowing blue dress, black flats, and put her hair into a simple, yet elegant bun. The blue beads in her hair stood out, as did the silver bracelets. She had waited patiently, drawing or writing in her pad while sitting on the window sill. Ao had been the next to be finished, in a well tailored three piece suit, with black jacket, pants, and dress shoes, a dark green vest, and a lighter green dress shirt. A white tie finished the look off. He also had his messy hair combed back. Rosso suspected hair gel had been used in liberal amounts. Saffron was done last, yet, Russo had to admit, she had been done before breakfast started. She, was in a two piece dress, a pale yellow shining with gold metallic embroidery. Her hair, was down, and she had gold heels. So no, the beginning of the morning hadn't been horrible, even if it was early. But the other students, all talking excitedly, and just the noise at this hour? Too much!

"Hey. Would this help?" Rosso looked up at Ao's voice, to see the human boy offering a cup of coffee, and a plate with cream and sugar.

"Yeah." Rosso added sugar, and sipped. Ao and Saffron had also brought full trays of food over to their corner of the hall, so there was plenty to eat. He ate lightly, not knowing what the day would bring. All too soon, chaos reigned as various games were set up. Throwing, darts, and beanbags. An obstacle course. Scavenger hunts, although he wasn't sure how many people would want to do that, considering the maze test. Hanging boxes full of treats, meant to be hit with a stick. Hide and seek games. Tag. All sorts of games.

"Want to stick together? It...could be bonding time. Time to get to know each other." Ao suggested tentatively. Russo shrugged.

"I suppose."

"Great! Come on, I want to try this first!" Saffron led the way to the throwing games, and, with a wink, she took aim with a group of darts. Seconds later, every single one was in the bullseye.

"Show off." Rosso grumbled. Yet, he couldn't help but be impressed. Saffron only grinned.

"Maybe so, but you still learn my aim is really good!"

"True enough. We didn't see you fight." Ao agreed.

"So if you want to show off...what else?" Saffron asked. Rosso smirked.

"I think I've got something in mind." Rosso headed to the treat boxes, and broke one with just one swing, no aura. Ao challenged Zaffre to a race on the obstacle course, and while he did well, not stumbling often, Zaffre gracefully moved through every obstacle, and in record time. They played other games, and learned more about each other. A couple of things, and Russo's mind started racing.

"Later on, might want to think about team attacks. Think some of us would be pretty complimentary."

"You're right. But some classes first, to see even more of each other's abilities, would be good." Ao agreed. Rosso glared.

"That's basically what I just said."

"Hey! No fighting! Not at a party!" Saffron said, Rosso sighed. Fine. But if Ao was seriously going to be this persnickety, or precise, or whatever, all the time, it was going to be annoying. He shrugged, and moved on. They snacked, played more games, and finally evening came. Rosso sighed, in relief, knowing the day was done. Only a little longer until he could get to bed. Or...apparently not. Rosso glared at the brightly lit dance floor, punch bowls scattered about, and a few plates of snacks.

"Do I have to dance? I only know you guys. And not well." Rosso grumbled.

"I won't force you to." Ao offered. Rosso shrugged.

"Well I'm going out there! Come on!" Saffron cheered. She grabbed Ao's arm, and looked over her shoulder.

"Zaffre?" Zaffre shook her head.

"I'll stay here."

"Ok! Ao, come on! First dance!"

"Ok, ok!" Rosso shook his head, seeing the two dancing. If they wanted to party all night, fine. Not his style. He hesitated, and glanced down at Zaffre.

"So...punch?"

"Sure." They found a punch bowl without anyone around it, then leaned against the wall. Zaffre's ears, as they had been most of the day, were down.

"So...noise get to you?" Rosso sighed, he wasn't much for small talk, but, he, he always felt a kinship with other Faunus.

"It does. I'm not a fan of crowds either." Zaffre admitted.

"Just the noise, or..."

"The discrimination. The feeling of being closed in."

"Ah. I grew up in a small village on the outskirts of Mistral. I'm not used to a lot of people either."

"Ever face discrimination?" Zaffre asked. Rosso considered.

"No, not really. Everyone's different. People in my village were ok with Faunus. And I haven't noticed anything on my way here. No slurs, or refusal of service, no physical beatings."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"It's...different from what I've seen. What I've experienced."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I don't know." Zaffre said quietly. For a few minutes, they stood in silence, sipping punch and watching the people out on the dance floor.

"Well I would think that most Faunus would be happy if they weren't being treated poorly. Then again, not everyone thinks politically."

"No. Not everyone does. You seem to, in some ways." Rosso shrugged.

"I'm a Faunus. I haven't not worried about reactions to my species. I just haven't encountered a situation where I need to react."

"And if you do?"

"I don't know. Not really my style to plan things out to every detail."

"Fair." Silence fell again.

"And what about you? Are you political?" Rosso asked finally.

"You...could certainly say that. I've traveled a lot. I've seen a lot. It's impossible for me to not take a stand."

"But you're so quiet, and don't like crowds. How do you do that?" Zaffre smiled.

"Helping out in small ways. Bring food, or medicine to people who need it. Clean up after a storm, or protect people from Grimm. Write, and draw. Stories and images can say a lot."

"Huh. Tell you what, I'll think about it." Zaffre nodded. They spent the next hour or so watching those around them, before Saffron bounded up to them. Rosso eyed her warily. Did she ever lose any energy?

"Are you two just going to sit back all night? Really, dancing is a lot of fun! Just try it!"

"Uh, no." Rosso said flatly.

"Zaffre? If you want to do it, I'll offer a quiet dance in a corner?" Ao offered. Zaffre considered for a few minutes.

"I'll try it. Provided you keep your promise."

"I wouldn't dare go back on my word. Come on." Rosso watched as Zaffre followed Ao, to a quiet corner of the dance floor.

"Sure I can't convince you to dance? There's really good music. And you like music." Saffron said, taking a glass of punch, and finishing it in a few gulps.

"I can't dance, alright?" Rosso hissed, finally having enough of Saffron's insistence. She blinked, then smiled.

"Well why didn't you say so! I'll be happy to teach you!"

"That's not what...I don't want that! Can't I just want to not want to learn how to dance?"

"I think it's because you're scared of people. I'm not that scary, am I?" Rosso disagreed, but he wasn't going to admit that.

"Fine. You win." he growled. Saffron beamed at him, and grabbed his hand.

"Ok, so this is a slower song, and you can hear the beat, right?"

"It's a waltz, three beats. One, two, three." Rosso told her flatly. Of course he could hear the beat.

"Great! So, step this way on one, this way on two, and this way on three. You're constantly turning, it's an elegant dance, smooth movements."

"I don't do smooth." Rosso protested, tripping yet again. Saffron rolled her eyes.

"Sure you do! You're a Hunsman in training! Think of this like combat, how you dodge around opponents! So, I'm a beowolf, step around me, one two three. Again, one two three. And again, one two three. You're dancing! Not so bad is it?" Rosso scowled at her, yet her grin didn't relent. Rosso had to admit, it wasn't so bad. Thinking about it like combat, had helped. He finished the song with Saffron, but then retreated to the punch bowl.

"Done already?" she asked.

"One was plenty." Rosso hesitated. "But it wasn't bad." he admitted. Saffron laughed, and lightly punched his arm.

"Knew it'd do you good. I'm going to keep dancing. See you!" Zaffre rejoined him at the punch bowl soon after, allowing Ao to dance with her for two songs. After that, Ao also went back onto the dance floor. Finally, around ten or so, Rosso had enough.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired, and classes are starting tomorrow. I'm going to bed."

"I agree. Going to tell the others?"

"If they want to stay out here partying all night, they can. I don't care." Zaffre raised an eyebrow, then disappeared into the crowd. Rosso blinked. How had she just disappeared like that? Shaking his head, he slowly navigated the crowd until he was finally free of the great hall, and out into the much cooler night. Only a few people were outside. Rosso's pace increased until he was nearly running to the dorms. He reached the room, changed out of his vest, dress shirt, tie, pants, and dress shoes and into his pajamas. Moments after he finished, Zaffre slipped in. She nodded to Rosso, and changed herself.

"Early alarm again?"

"Not as early. Saffron only does full makeup and hair for parties. Same with Ao."

"Good. Today was way too early." Rosso set his alarm for a bit later than he had that morning. Zaffre sat up in her bed, reading. Rosso eyed her. Her ears were up for the first time that day. At least, that he could remember seeing.

"You're more comfortable here."

"Less people." Zaffre replied simply. Rosso studied her a bit more closely. For all of her relaxed posture, she still seemed ready to spring into action. Rosso yawned, turned over, and, as Zaffre turned out the lights, fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of classes.

-New beginnings are just that; new. Have faith that not all of them will be bad.-

Ao groaned as his alarm went off. He didn't want to get out of bed. His blankets were much too cozy, and he was far too tired. Coming in late, trying to get ready for bed in the dark, had been tricky. He had done his best to be quiet, as had Saffron, but it hadn't been long before he heard a hiss, and felt a spike of irritation. He had looked up to see Zaffre's eyes, practically glowing silver in the night looking over the edge of her bed. He had apologized, and tried to be even quieter. It thankfully hadn't taken too long before he had felt Zaffre's irritation diminish, and he managed to fall asleep. Now, it was so, so tempting to try to sleep. But he had classes. And he wanted breakfast before them. With another groan, he got out of bed, grateful he had taken a shower the previous night. He hated sleeping with gel in his hair. He saw the curtain around the girls' bed open, both beds empty. And Rosso was still asleep. The sun streamed in through the open window, and Ao breathed in the fresh air. It wasn't a bad way to wake up. He stretched, and got dressed, opting not to modify his uniform. Just the white shirt tucked neatly into the black pants, the black jacket fully buttoned up, collar folded neatly, black socks, and black shoes. The only thing he did do, was put on his necklace, tucking it inside the jacket's neckline.

"Ao? You're awake?" Rosso's sleepy voice came from his bunk, and Ao turned to see the Faunus boy sitting up, yawning. 

"Yeah. Got up when my alarm went off. Girls left a note, they'll meet us in the dining hall." 

"Huh. I'd expect getting up early for Zaffre, but Saffron? I thought she said she took longer to get up?" 

"I don't know. But breakfast starts in about fifteen minutes or so. We'll have plenty of time to wake up more." Rosso shrugged. He got dressed, and Ao noticed with interest, that he kept his vambraces, and his headphones with his uniform. And, he hadn't buttoned the jacket up all the way to the top, leaving the jacket a bit more open. While he got dressed, Ao gathered his school things. Rosso grabbed his own bag, and yawned again.

"Alright. Let's go. Saffron better not be crazy full of energy. I can't deal with that when I'm still tired." Ao only smiled, and led the way to the dining hall. They filled their plates, and Ao scanned the hall before spotting the girls in a corner. Zaffre, seemed a bit smug, and her ears were twitching slightly, while Saffron looked exhausted. 

"And just why did you have to get me up so early? The sun hadn't even risen! And no tea? Zaffre!" she whined. Zaffre raised an eyebrow.

"One, classes. Two, you woke me up." 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Can I please have tea now?" Zaffre smirked, and slid a steaming teacup over. Saffron reached for it, before Zaffre lightly slapped her hand. Saffron whined again.

"Don't wake me past midnight again." 

"What about a mission emergency?" Ao asked. Zaffre nodded.

"That would be an exception." Finally, she relented, and Saffron sipped gratefully at her tea. 

"You can be vicious Zaffre." Rosso observed. Zaffre only shrugged, but the slight smirk hadn't left her face. 

"Why not scold me too? I thought we had both woken you up?" Ao wondered.

"To an extent. But you were far quieter, apologized, and made an attempt to be even quieter. Therefore, you got to sleep in. And I won't steal your coffee." 

"Thanks." Ao told her gratefully. He did nudge his coffee cup a bit closer to his plate though, just in case. For a while, they ate in silence. Ao enjoyed his coffee, sweetened with sugar, and diluted with milk. He took the time to also watch his teammates and gauge their feelings. Exhaustion slowly fading from Saffron, helped by the tea and an extra helping of food. She wore white socks, black shoes, black and gray plaid skirt, white shirt and black jacket. Her collar wasn't straight, but Ao figured that was due to her sleepiness. Zaffre had opted for the version that had leggings, instead of the socks. She still wore her hair accessories, and her uniform was completely neat. Finally, all of his teammates were awake, just as the hall started getting noisier with more students arriving. Zaffre's ears went down the noisier it got. 

"So, classes start at nine, right? Which class is it? What other classes do we have? Which ones are you looking forward to? Do they provide a map?" Saffron asked, after her plate was clean.

"Today, we start with a class on Grimm, followed by combat, and stealth. Our last class focuses on aura and semblances. Tomorrow, is history, weapons' maintenance, and environmental studies. I'm looking forward to all of them, and yes, we have a map." Ao replied patiently, ignoring Rosso's slight irritation. 

"Why environmental studies? It doesn't seem like a Huntsman would need to know about...I don't know, plants, and that sort of thing." Rosso asked. Ao shrugged.

"I expect we'll find out in class." 

"Guess so." With fifteen minutes left until classes, they left the dining hall, finding their classroom without too much trouble. The classroom had tiered seating, with comfortable, padded benches, and wide windows. Down on the board, finely drawn sketches of many Grimm were pinned. Ao recognized a beowolf, alpha beowolf, and a manticore, though the Mistral version was different from the Atlas version. Those, were the ones in the center. But many more sketches, both of Grimm he recognized, and many he didn't, were pinned around. Their professor waited for them patiently, the same black haired man that had been behind the headmistress on the first day. That vague familiarity was still there, but Ao couldn't figure out why. As soon as all the first years had arrived, the professor bowed to them slightly. 

"Welcome to all. My name is Professor Lie. As I'm sure you've guessed, we study Grimm to know what kinds there are, their strengths and their weaknesses. This knowledge can help you defeat Grimm more efficiently, but also help you survive. Let's start with what you encountered in the maze." Professor Lie's voice, while soft, still had a gravity to it, and almost everyone was listening intently, and taking notes. Not to mention, for Ao at least, the professor simply radiated calm. It was a nice change. Once Professor Lie saw that pens had stopped moving, he continued on. Ao continued to take notes, even though some things were already things he knew. Still, there were also things that he didn't know. While he had encountered similar Grimm in Atlas, they acted differently, or were shaped differently in Mistral. 

"Now, there are multiple forms for a manticore. What are they?" 

"Wingless and winged." A girl said promptly. Ao didn't remember her name, but she was on the same team as Desereé, Rose, and, the girl he assumed was Sinopia's sister. 

"Good. Other attributes?" 

"All have tails, which are poisonous. Their claws and teeth are deadly, and they're fast." Bistre offered. 

"Very good. What many don't know, is that manticores can operate both in groups, and solo, and will take orders, after a fashion, from a superior Grimm." 

"What? Grimm can't think, they're just mindless beasts! How could they take orders?" Lapis cried out. Professor Lie shook his head. 

"Not all Grimm are mindless. They usually start out that way, yes. But for Grimm that live longer, they have a chance to learn, to grow. Not unlike us. They can then, put that experience to use. If there is a Grimm that they view as more experienced, they will follow that Grimm." Lapis sat back, looking troubled, but a little thoughtful. Rose raised her hand, and at Professor Lie's nod, spoke. 

"Professor, is it just experience that determines superiority, or is it species? Or powers?" 

"Don't tell me you actually believe Grimm can think?" Sinopia snapped. Desereé shrugged. 

"I've fought against Grimm that have gotten away, and returned stronger." 

"So you weren't actually skilled enough to take it down the first time. I'm surprised you got in, if that's the case." Sinopia sneered. Ao blinked, while Desereé glared at Sinopia, her monkey tail lashing. That had been incredibly rude, and could be considered derogatory.

"Miss Scarlet, that is enough." Professor Lie's voice had sudden steel in it, and he held Sinopia's gaze with steady, though slightly cold, eyes. Sinopia crossed her arms, and sat back. "The fact that Miss Caramel survived multiple attacks against Grimm, is testament to her skill. She also succeeded at getting through the maze, so her passing is not in question. Is that understood?" 

"Yes sir." Sinopia answered sullenly. 

"Good. On to another matter, more than one person has reported, that the older Grimm are trickier to fight. They have seen their brethren killed, and that makes them wary. So yes, they learn. To your question, Miss Jardiain, some of what draws the manticore to another Grimm is their experience. But I think you will find that species does play a role. Manticores will often follow a sphinx, and both species have feline traits. In addition, the power is not necessarily what draws them in, but often goes in hand with experience. Grimm with peers, often find it easier to survive longer."

"Thanks!"

"Of course. Now, class time is nearly over for today. For homework, I'd like you to study the Grimm we discussed today, and know all identifiers, strengths, and weaknesses of them. Dismissed." 

"Everything about the Grimm in just two days? Less than that?" Rose groaned as she left ahead of Ao. Sinopia's sister shrugged.

"But we already know some things about all of the Grimm we talked about. It'll be more confirmation, and review, than anything else."

"Oh, well when you put it that way, it doesn't sound too bad." 

"Combat time!" Rosso said eagerly, and Ao smiled. He glanced at Zaffre and Saffron, and they each felt a bit excited. Combat probably was something that they were all good at, and could do without too many issues.

"You really are looking forward to this class." he commented to Rosso. Rosso shrugged.

"Combat can be easier than dealing with other lessons, or people for that matter. I also like learning how to improve my technique, and learning others." They reached the large room, a cleared area in front, and a few rows of seating above. A red haired woman waited for them, and smiled warmly.

"Hello everyone! I'm Professor Valkyrie! You're already good at combat, but this class is to get you better. So let's get started!" Rosso groaned, and Ao sensed dismay. Why, he wasn't sure. But, everyone sat in the seats, somewhat noisily. 

"Right! I need to see everyone's techniques first before we can get around to improving them. Each team pick a member to represent them. You'll be facing off with each other. No holding back!" All of the teams fell to whispering amongst each other. 

"I mean, any of us could go. We're all good." Rosso said. Ao hesitated a bit.

"We haven't really seen what they other teams are capable of though."

"It's just a training exercise. And it's only the first day of classes. Only day six of school. Besides! They're all our classmates, would they really have a reason to hurt us seriously?" Saffron pointed out. Ao sighed, and nodded.

"Well Rosso, you were really looking forward to class. Why don't you go?" 

"Fine by me!" Saffron added. Zaffre nodded, and Rosso smirked. He walked down to the cleared area, where the girl with cornrows was already standing, as was Sinopia. Sinopia's scowl deepened when she saw Rosso. 

"Professor, do you really want us to fight in our uniforms? Or should we run and change into our normal clothes?" The girl with cornrows asked. Sinopia scoffed.

"Do we really have time to waste with that? I don't care, let's just get started."

"Point well made, Miss Crème. And to you as well, Miss Scarlet. In many cases, a battle can start at any time, so being prepared for it no matter what you're doing, or what you're wearing, is important. However, in this class, yes you should wear your usual clothes, and use your own weapons. You have chosen your usual clothes so that you're comfortable moving in them, and can fight in them. So, typically that is what we'll do. But not today. Today, you fight as you are, with spare weapons I have on hand. Before next class, I expect you to change, and bring your weapons. I'll assign lockers to you at the end of class today. Locker room is through this door, with sections for privacy. The lockers themselves are rocket powered, and can be sent to any location by typing in a five digit code. Now, let's get to it. Each of you pick a weapon, then wait for my signal." 

Ao watched as Rosso selected a sword nearly as tall as he was. It was larger, much larger than Rosso's sword. But, Rosso didn't seem to have a problem wielding it, taking it through a few experimental swings. Sinopia had a pair of pistols, and the girl with cornrows had selected a pair of nunchucks. Seeing that they were ready, Professor Valkyrie stepped out of the way, raised a hand, then brought it down sharply.

"Start!" Rosso reacted immediately, charging towards Sinopia. She fired off several shots, changing her aim slightly each time. Yet Rosso blocked them all. One stroke disarmed her, and another sent her flying. Ao leaned forward. Direct, strong, yet still technically precise. Rosso hadn't hurt her, at all. Just taken her out of the fight for a bit. It had been different, yet the same in the maze. Rosso dealt with opponents as quickly and efficiently as possible, and if one was trickier, or he was surrounded, he temporarily took them out until he had a little more breathing room. While he had been thinking, the cornrow girl had engaged Rosso, and managed to push the Faunus boy back several feet. Sinopia had come back into the fight, going straight for Rosso. Ao sat up, surprised at the anger in Sinopia. Was it that she hated even thinking she was losing, or outmatched? Or was it something else? Regardless, she ignored the fact that the other girl hadn't paused in her movements. Sinopia caught the full force of the other girl's attack, and flew backward again. She landed harder this time. Rosso engaged again, and he and the girl managed to disarm each other at the same time. 

"Alright, I think that's enough for now. Minimal aura usage, and no semblance usage. Very interesting. Next round, let's do the same thing. One member from each team." Professor Valkyrie instructed. 

"I'll go!" Saffron said cheerfully as Rosso sat. "Oh and nice Rosso! You're really strong." 

"Uh. Thanks." 

"Nice job Rosso." Ao said. 

"It was just combat." Rosso replied.

"But you still did well. Teammates support each other, so acknowledging that you did well is part of that." Rosso sent him a look, and Ao couldn't figure out what he was feeling either. 

"Sure." 

"And start!" Ao looked down at the floor, to see Saffron facing off against Desereé and Xanadu. Saffron was using a shorter quartersaff, Xanadu a scythe, and Desereé a slim saber. Xanadu was good, and held his own, but clearly used to using something in either hand. He got knocked off his feet by Saffron. Desereé, was also used to a different weapon, and had a slightly awkward style too. Saffron was doing alright. Yet she was defeated when Desereé struck, before disappearing, and then Saffron fell to the ground, Desereé behind her. 

"What was that?" Rosso asked.

"A semblance." Ao said. Rosso shot him a glare. 

"Clearly. But was it a teleportation, or-"

"Classic use of a speed semblance, Miss Crème. Very effective use, too. I might have videos of a friend who has a similar semblance." Professor Valkyrie said. "There's enough time for you to all get your lockers assigned, and then, class will be over for today. Next class, we'll do matches for the rest of you, before getting into the hard work of improving your techniques!" Locker assignments didn't take long, and everyone streamed out, a bit more tired given the exercise. Lunch, refreshed them all, and then they had their next class with a young woman waited for them. She was a Faunus, apparently a bird one, due to the feathers in her hair. When everyone had entered the classroom, she started speaking. 

"I know this class will seem unnecessary for many of you. You've unlocked your aura, and your semblance, what more could you need? But there is so much more that you can learn. Let's start with the basics, and I want you to honestly. How many of you have unlocked your semblances?" Out of the twelve first years, nine raised their hands. Only...Xanadu, Rose, and Desereé hadn't raised their hands. Hmm. So his entire team knew their semblances. That was interesting. He had seen Saffron's, but he had no idea of what Rosso's or Zaffre's was. Desereé's, of course had been revealed not long ago. Apart from those, he had no idea of anyone else's semblances. 

"How many of you haven't?" At that question, Ao frowned. Surely, it wasn't necessary? Anyone who didn't know their semblance hadn't raised their hand previously. Yet, two hands, Xanadu and Desereé raised.

"And how many, absolutely no judgement, have no clue what I'm talking about. Rose shyly raised her hand. Ao caught Sinopia rolling her eyes, but no one else really had much of a reaction. That they showed, at least. 

"Miss Jardiain, correct? You came from outside of the kingdoms, trained on your own?" 

"Yes." The professor gave her a big smile. 

"Congratulations to you for making it to this school. Now, who can give me a basic explanation of what aura is?" 

"It's the physical form of your soul. You have to understand both the negative and positive aspects of yourself to use it, but your aura protects you, and heals you. You can take hits that would normally injure or kill you. Some people believe it's an extension of your personality, and some think there's no connection." the girl with cornrows explained. 

"Very good Miss Crème. Now, Miss Jardiain, have you felt as if you were being watched, without knowing someone was there?" 

"Yes." 

"And have you taken hits that would normally hurt you a great deal?" 

"Yes." 

"Then you've been using your aura without knowing it. This class will help you control it." 

"Oh, that's great. Thank you."

"Now, can anyone tell me the significance of what aura telling you if someone is there, is?" 

"Aura protects us." Sinopia said flatly. 

"Yes." The professor waited, but when no one spoke up, she sighed. “Aura can protect us in many ways. It can be like a force field around ourselves, or it can enhance our senses. We can use aura to create shields, we can unlock others’ aura. We can use it to enhance abilities, to enhance our weapons, to use dust, or even enhance everyday objects. We can use aura to protect ourselves from weather. Aura can do so much more than merely act as a defensive shield in combat. This class is meant to not only show you those uses, but teach you how to do it. Or, if you already know some of this, teach you how to do it better.” 

"Whoa." Ao muttered. After another couple minutes, the professor smiled, and dismissed them. Talk broke out in the hallway, many people discussing the class. 

"Was not expecting that." Rosso admitted. "Never realized how much aura could do." 

"That's what the class is for!" Saffron said cheerfully. Their next classroom seemed to be half lecture, half combat. That alone made several students start whispering as they sat. Suddenly, a teacher appeared, male, stocky, and on the smaller side. At a few gasps of shock, he smiled.  
“As you can see, the ability to surprise people is useful, and can be quite fun. I always enjoy doing that to a class the first time we meet. I’m very pleased to see some of you were not surprised by my sudden appearance. Well done.” He walked calmly to the front of the lecture area, turned, and smiled again at the hands raised. Ao smiled at all the hands raised, and leaned forward. Even if being stealthy wasn't his specialty, this would still be interesting. 

"Sir, which students weren't surprised?" Bistre asked.

"I think you'll find that out soon enough."

"Have you ever had an entire class not be surprised?" Sinopia's sister asked. 

“No. Not one year has even come close. And there’s been years that I’ve surprised every single student. For the moment, any more questions?” Several students glanced at each other, unsure. But no one said anything, and the professor nodded. 

“Sometimes, your missions require hiding, tracking, secrecy. For that of course, you need to know how to be sneaky. First rule, always assume someone is watching. Why might that be?” 

“If…you always t…think someone i…is watching, you move m..mo..more cautiously?” Xanadu asked. The professor nodded. 

“Not bad. Anyone else?” No one else said anything, so he continued. “Stealth is not always about caution, but it is a big part. I would say the more important part is patience. Knowing when to break cover, knowing when to stay hidden, is all very important. Always assuming someone is watching you does enable you to be more cautious, but it also lets you move more unseen in general. Even when you break cover, if you move as if someone is trying to spot you, there’s less of a chance you’ll actually be seen. Next rule, use your surroundings. Why?”

“Your surroundings can be cover.” Desereé said. 

"Yes. Can anyone add on to that?"

"If you use everything, then you won't be seen as much?" Sinopia's sister suggested.

"What do you mean by everything?" 

"I...any tree, bush, building. Any...anything you can hide under or behind." Ao frowned at the twisting feelings inside the girl. She was hurting, but how, he wasn't sure. And Sinopia, sat, her entire body tense and fists clenched. Something bad had happened to them, that much was obvious.

“To a point. But basically, yes. Using every aspect of your surroundings, even the fleeting shadows of clouds, the movements of a crowd, the wind moving, will all help you hide. Those are the most basic tenants of moving unseen. Next up, tracking. Everyone, everything, even Grimm, leave tracks. Following them is not always easy, but this class will teach you how to recognize signs of people or things that have traveled before you. However, that is time for today. Next class will be group exercises in the basics of stealth, and recognizing some tracks. Dismissed.” Ao let out a sigh. It had been a long day, and he expected the next ones would be similar. First days, no, weeks, at school always were.


	6. Chapter 6

—True friends are rare gems in a dark world. Do not cast them aside.—

“We have that history class, the weapons maintenance class, and the environmental studies class today. Any ideas?” Ao announced at breakfast the following morning. Zaffre sipped at tea, listening to her team, but not contributing. She'd see what the classes were like when they got to them. Rosso considered, then shook his head.

“Nope, nope, and nope.”

“History is always really cool, because we learn what people before us did, and there’s so much to learn! I mean, what would happen if we ignored everything that happened in the past? Disaster!” Saffron said. Zaffre snorted quietly. That, was certainly the truth. Ao grinned.

“We’ll see what the professor thinks. Come on.” Their history professor turned out to be a middle aged woman with her hair loose, and a pointer in her hands.

“A good morning to everyone. Hopefully we are all refreshed and ready to learn. Who can tell me what history is?”

“It’s everything that’s happened in the past.” The black haired girl with her hair in a loose ponytail answered. Zaffre watched her from the corner of her eye, unsure if she had the same distaste for Faunus that her sister had. It didn't seem like it, but just because a distaste was less obvious, didn't mean it wasn't there.

“Very good Miss Scarlet. Next, who can tell me the difference between ancient and modern history?”

“Ancient has happened further back in the past, while modern is something that has happened more recently. Though where exactly events fall in those categories depends on your perspective.” The girl with pink and purple hair said. The professor smiled.

“Very, very good Miss Jardiain! Yes, that is correct. Would anyone care to expand on that with how truth is important to history?”

“Truth is tricky. Everyone could be telling the truth, but if they all saw something different, then it’s hard to piece together what happened.” the monkey tailed Faunus girl answered.

“Even trickier, is that history is written by the winners, so whatever happens to the losers is hard to understand. Very few accounts by the losers would survive. Some of that is different of course, with the technology we have available, but the basis is the same.” The girl with cornrows added. Zaffre raised an eyebrow. Interesting. All polite so far, and intelligent. She might have to get to know them at some point. She thought back to the entrance ceremony. Team DASR, led by Desereé, the monkey Faunus girl, Almendra, the girl with cornrows, Sienna, the girl with black hair, and Rose, the girl with violet and pink hair. Interesting.

“And what would you constitute as losers, if there is no war Miss Crème?”

“I’m…not sure. There’s almost always been some sort of conflict going on throughout history, so I guess I look at it through that lens.” Almendra admitted.

“Very well. Anyone else? If there is no war, and history is written by winners, then who is the loser?” Everyone hesitated, some not sure, some not really wanting to speak up. Then, Saffron raised a hand. The professor nodded.

“Well, the Grimm might fall under that category.”

“What? They’re soulless beasts, weren’t you paying attention yesterday? They can’t think! Who cares if they’re destroyed?” The rude black haired girl cried. A few murmurs sounded, most people agreeing. Zaffre sighed. This, this was what she didn't like about people, the mass assumption. So often, they were at least partially wrong. And, she couldn't let this stand, not here.

“That’s the danger. If you think you are better, those oppressed by you are the losers.” She offered quietly. She met the professor's eyes, and the professor gave her a nod, before turning to the rest of the class. Zaffre slid a bit lower in her seat, but still felt eyes on her. She glanced around, and saw Ao watching her curiously. After a moment or so though, he looked away, and Zaffre breathed a sigh of relief.

“Excellent point, and an excellent answer to the question. Yes, anyone who is oppressed becomes the losers. Contrary to what many might think, Miss Sunglow raised an excellent point. We do think of ourselves as superior to the Grimm, but no doubt they feel differently. I do not teach about Grimm however, so if you wish to continue this discussion, ask Professor Lie at your next class. Apart from Grimm, who else has been oppressed in history?”

“The Faunus. That’s kind of a given though.” Rosso said, shrugging. The professor nodded again, it seemed to be a favorite action of hers.

“While it may be that the Faunus have been oppressed for centuries, saying that it’s a given, as you put it, subtly lets the perpetrators of oppression continue. Do not let yourself be degraded, Mr. Corsa. The same goes for you, Miss Caramel, and Miss Malam. Always think before you speak, especially in this class. But don’t be afraid to speak up! we are here to learn from each other, as much as history. Now, is there anyone else apart from the Faunus?”

“People in poverty.” Ao offered.

“Explain.”

“Many people in poverty have trouble recovering from that poverty, and there’s no easy solution. But sometimes, authorities refuse to help at all, which only deepens the cycle.”

“Excellent reasoning, and correct Mr. Jade. Now that we have all of that worked out, keep it in mind! All points raised today are extremely important, and need to be considered for the rest of our lessons Now, we start with ancient history. Who can tell me the difficulty with ancient history?” The lecture went on, and by the time the class finished, they hadn’t actually started learning history. However, they did understand what history was, and how tricky it could be to understand what had really happened. Interesting, and Zaffre certainly admired the professor's approach. She had a feeling she'd be learning a lot.

“That was intense, but I liked it.” Ao commented, once they were out in the hall. Zaffre nodded, but stayed quiet. Answering one question had been enough excitement for her, for now.

“There’s aspects of history that I’ve never considered before, that’s for sure.” Rosso agreed. “Though I still don’t know if myths should really be taken into account. They’re just stories.”

“Stories that have a grain of truth to them.” Saffron countered. Rosso shrugged.

“Yeah, but which grain of truth? They’re been distorted for so many years, what’s really believable? There’s a reason they’re considered fantasy, or fairytales.” Zaffre noticed Saffron didn’t look happy, and smiled slightly. She could already tell that this would be a reoccurring discussion. Weapons maintenance class was boring. She had been repairing and taking care if Cahaya Bintang for years, often on the road. Judging by the bored looks of the others, they had similar experiences.

“I’ll be checking your weapons every class anyway. If they’re in good shape, consider this class a free study period for that day. If they need to be repaired, then do so. I find your weapons unsatisfactory, or that you don’t care, I’ll have you cleaning and repairing everyone’s weapons, and the practice weapons. Given that I'm sure none of you will want anyone else to work on their weapon, I don’t think there’ll be an issue.” The professor warned them at the end of class. At a few murmurs of agreement, he smiled, and let them go. It was lunchtime, then, time for their last class of the day.

“Let’s see what environmental studies are like.” Rosso muttered resignedly. This professor surveyed them all a little cynically as they slid into seats.

“Now, I know all of you either think this will be boring, or have no idea what this class might be on. Allow me to correct both misconceptions. We will be covering geography of the world, and survival skills, along with first aid. However, there’s a second part to this class, which focuses on noticing your surroundings in order to use them to your advantage during combat.” She said crisply. She nodded to Saffron's friend...Bistre, Zaffre remembered. He lowered his hand.

“Will we be putting those to use?”

“This class will have many field trips to test your skills, yes. On some, Professor Valkyrie will be accompanying us, in order to observe what you’ve learned. Let’s get to it, shall we? Continents of Remnant.” The question was fired off so fast that no one quite knew how to respond. Then, Sienna raised her hand.

“Anima, Menagerie, Sanus, Solitas.”

“Good. Kingdoms associated with the continents.”

“Mistral is on Anima, Atlas on Solitas, Vale Sanus, Vacuo Sanus. Menagerie has just recently been recognized as its’ own kingdom officially, a CCT tower has been installed, and they’re allowed to participate in the Vitale Festival.” Desereé said happily.

“Very good. You’ll find that this class incorporates aspects of your other classes, sort of melding them into a comprehensive study of the world around you. I’ve been petitioning the headmistress for three years to change the name of the class to something along those lines, to no avail.” A few chuckles sounded, and their professor cracked a smile. “Let’s continue. Towns of Mistral.” And so the lesson went on. By the end of it, Zaffre had an even better picture of the world she had traveled over. It was one thing to walk, or ride across it, another to see it from a map, and yet another to hear about the kingdoms from a certain perspective. Very interesting.

“That was just so much information.” Ao groaned. Zaffre raised an eyebrow. How sheltered had the Atlas boy been? Rosso nodded in agreement.

“I grew up here, but I didn’t realize just how many towns have been built outside of the the main kingdom boundaries.”

“Me either! And we’re expected to know where all of them are? In addition to all the other stuff? They weren’t kidding around!” Saffron added. Ao sighed.

“Well, we have the rest of the day off. Study?”

“Apparently.” Rosso grumbled. A voice called out to them.

“Hey, do you want to study together? Two teams might do better than one.” They all turned to see Team DASR coming down the hallway.

“Aren’t you the girl who was looking for her sister the other night?” Saffron asked Sienna. Sienna nodded.

“I was. Sinopia can be really annoying.”

“That she is.” Rosso agreed.

“You’re team DASR. I remember you from the first day, we weren’t really introduced, but you were talking with Rose. Desereé, I remember you. The only one I haven’t met is you.” Ao said, turning to Almendra. She smiled, and held out a hand for him to shake.

“You’ve got a good memory. With a mind like that, I’m sure you’ll do fine. My name is Almendra.” She said, as he took it. Rosso studied the four girls thoughtfully.

“Seems to be off to a decent start for your team.”

“So far so good. We get along reasonably well, and we all enjoy history.” Rose agreed.

“I don’t have a problem studying with more people. I really love being around people, and I think it’s cool so many Faunus have made it in to the academy. I mean, Mistral’s not always the greatest about perceptions, and…oops.” Saffron trailed off, once she realized everyone was staring at her.

“Don’t be embarrassed! I like that someone’s not prejudiced for once.” Desereé said cheerfully. Saffron grinned.

“I’m Saffron. I partnered with Zaffre during the trials.” Zaffre gave a shy wave.

“Rosso.”

“And I’m Ao. So…the library?” Ao suggested. Sienna nodded.

“Just need to stop at our room for our notes from yesterday.”

“Same.” Rosso said. The trip to the dorms didn’t take long, and they started studying as soon as they claimed a large table in the library.

“Ok, so we have to study Beowolves, Alpha Beowolves, and Manticores…am I missing any?” Sienna asked, ticking them off on her fingers.

"No, I don't think so. The only thing would be to know the Mistral variations of the manticores." Rose said distractedly, flipping through her notes.

“Oh, right.”

“So what do we know about Beowolves?” Ao asked.

"Cannon fodder for people with training, at least in small numbers. Packs can get much, much trickier." Desereé reeled off. Zaffre sighed. She had experienced that all too often.

"That's right. Beowolves can operate by themselves, or in pairs, or in packs. They're probably the most versatile of the Grimm, the most populous, and they're found in all of the kingdoms. Slight appearance differences for the different kingdoms." Saffron agreed.

"I guess they are kinda easy to understand. Most common and all that." Almendra laughed. Rose sighed.

"Ok, so then, Alpha Beowolves are different how exactly? Apart from being bigger? And tougher to kill?"

"And that, is precisely the point." Sienna told her, smiling. Rose blinked.

"Huh?"

"We've actually kinda discussed this in our various classes. My guess? Alpha beowolves are bigger and tougher to kill, probably because they're older and more experienced. Remember what Professor Lie said, that less experienced Grimm follow the more experienced Grimm? That's probably around the lines of what's happening."

"And they're the ones that don't travel in packs, that the most you might see are two or three together. They'll go out on their own often, or lead a pack." Ao added.

"And then, with manticores..." Rosso said. They continued studying, the Grimm not taking much longer, but there were still plenty of subjects to look at. When they took the occasional break to stretch, they continued talking, but focused instead on getting to know each other.

“That was fun.” Desereé said as they walked out of the library, her tail high.

“It was. We have the crazier schedule tomorrow, but maybe meet up during meals?” Ao suggested.

“We can sit near each other in classes too.” Almendra pointed out.

“And it sounds like we’ll have to do a lot of studying. Same time day after tomorrow?” Sienna asked.

“Sounds great!” Saffron agreed.

“Excellent! But I’m starving.” Rose groaned, as her stomach rumbled audibly. Zaffre hid a smiled, as the others laughed. Rose grinned.

“Same. Who knew studying would be so much work?” Rosso asked. They paused in their dorms to put their things away, then headed to the dining hall. While a little surprised to see that Zaffre, Saffron, Ao, and Rosso had claimed a spot to the side, Almendra, Rose, Sienna, and Desereé were happy to join them, where they continued to get to know one another.

“Well, I think that wraps it up if we’re all yawning!” Saffron teased, spotting yet another concealed yawn from Sienna, and an obvious one from Rosso.

“We do have a busy day again tomorrow.” Ao agreed.

“Agreed. See you at breakfast tomorrow?” Almendra suggested.

“If you can get up as early as we do, sure.” Rosso told them. At that, the other team exchanged a look.

“We’ll see.” Desereé said.

“At the very least, we’ll see you in Professor Lie’s class.” Ao promised.

“Goodnight!” Sienna called, as they headed out the door. Zaffre paused to wave at the other team, then followed her team up to bed.


End file.
